Back in November, we did a study that found (...

Back in November, we did a study that found (surprise) that Babbel ranks as one of the most efficient ways to learn a language. The independent study was conducted by researchers at the City University of New York (CUNY) and the University of South Carolina, and evaluated the overall efficacy（功效） of Babbel Spanish courses, examining the progress of 391 randomly selected learners and assessing participants’ knowledge of Spanish at the beginning

STUDY FINDING #1: “Truly novice users（初学者） with no knowledge of Spanish need on average 15 hours of study in a two-month period to cover the requirements for one college semester of Spanish.”

STUDY FINDING #2: “The average study time for the final study sample was about 19 hours, or a little over two hours a week.”

STUDY FINDING #3: “The Babbel app works similarly well for people with different gender, age, native language, education, employment status, etc.”

Learning a language is about speaking a language, and with the help of Babbel, our novice challenge participants were able to start having conversations in just three weeks’ time, proving that Babbel is, indeed, the shortest path to a real-life conversation.

1.How does the writer recommend Babbel to readers?

A.By listing research findings.

B.By introducing some of its contents.

C.By telling stories at the beginning.

D.By comparing it with other apps.

2.What is the purpose of the last paragraph of the text?

A.To introduce Babbel .

B.To appreciate Babbel.

C.To advertise Babbel.

D.To analyze Babbel.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Late that afternoon I took the train back to Sydney . There I found another surprise waiting for me . My room at the hotel had been given to somebody else and they had no room for me. Harkin had known my travel plans and had planned everything . How could he have booked the room only for three days ? There was nothing to be done but to find another hotel. The waiters were happy to find me a new hotel , and when I said that I was happy to stay at the airport , thinking it might be cheaper than staying in the city , they suggested the Holiday Inn at the airport . There was one small matter : the room rate was $ 300 per night . The best hotel in Katoomba had wanted only $ 145 . I asked if there was anything cheaper they might suggest but they warned that most hotels would already be full by this time.

The hotel was far from the train station , so I had to take a taxi , at $ 25 . On the way to the Holiday Inn , we passed a hotel just two blocks from the Holiday Inn that advertised a room rate of $ 104 . At the desk I asked if their room rate could go down a lot . “ No , this is a 4-star hotel,” the waiter told me . “ In that case ,” I replied , “ I’ll just walk the two blocks to the cheap hotel.” But she warned me that they were probably full and that if I didn’t take the room , it might not be available when I came back . Finally , I decided to take the room.

The room itself was big , but the air conditioning couldn’t keep up with the Australian heat . I couldn’t sleep until about 1:00 am.

1. Why did the writer have to look for another hotel ?

A. He didn’t book early.　　 B. Harkin made a mistake.

C. He was short of money.　　 D. He wasn’t well received.

2. How did the writer feel when hearing the room rate at the Holiday Inn ?

A. Nervous.　　　　　 B. Happy.

C. Surprised.　　　　 D. Relaxed.

3. Why did the writer take the room finally ?

A. It’s a 4-star hotel .　　　　 B. It’s around the station.

C. It was mid-night then.　　　　 D. The room was in great demand.

4. What does the text mainly talk about ?

A. A hotel hunting experience.　　　 B. An unforgettable day.

C. A warm-hearted waiter.　　　　　　　 D. An introduction to hotels.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

In this age of environmental crises, perhaps it comes no surprise that Stella Bowles found one in her own backyard. What is unique is her_______to do something about it．

The 100-kilometre LaHave River passes through Stella's community of Upper LaHave. Back in 2015, the pretty waterway was considered by many locals_______ to swim in，but Stella wanted to know_______.The then 11-year-old was_______ to learn what was causing the pollution: human waste being cast_______into the water by hundreds of her neighbors．

"I was _______ , " Stella says, when she found out 600 homes were using straight-pipes to pump waste from toilet to river without any filtration（过滤）. She decided to _____the problem for her Grade 6 science project. With the help of a retired local physician, Stella learned how to_______ the water in the LaHave. _______, her results showed contamination （污染） way above Health Canada guidelines. _______ , locals were boating on the river without knowing they were ______the potential danger of infection．

Stella began to raise _______ about the LaHave's contamination problem. Soon she was making local headlines and trying to _______politicians．Finally，in spring 2017， all levels of governments _______ to remove all straight-pipes in Nova Scotia by 2023．

The LaHave _______isn't safe for swimming, but it should be safe for the sixth graders of Upper LaHave's future. Stella, now 14, continues to _______ more rigid rules to protect the river and this year travelled around her province to teach other kids how to test their local waterways and _______ for better care．

In August, thanks to her excellent work，Stella_______ an International Eco-Hero Award, which _______ the efforts of environmental youth activists. "I never thought I'd be where I am today _______ a science project，" says Stella, who is considering a career in environmental law．

1.A.chance B.regret C.determination D.imagination

2.A.unfit B.perfect C.easy D.unpopular

3.A.when B.why C.how D.where

4.A.proud B.upset C.satisfied D.relieved

5.A.suddenly B.carefully C.directly D.quickly

6.A.confident B.curious C.excited D.sick

7.A.look into B.refer to C.point out D.set aside

8.A.heat B.protect C.store D.test

9.A.Normally B.Unfortunately C.Naturally D.Strangely

10.A.Therefore B.Otherwise C.Moreover D.However

11.A.avoiding B.causing C.facing D.sensing

12.A.awareness B.doubts C.fears D.cash

13.A.ignore B.respect C.convince D.follow

14.A.agreed B.failed C.pretended D.happened

15.A.just B.still C.even D.yet

16.A.approve B.attempt C.persuade D.demand

17.A.call B.allow C.answer D.wait

18.A.missed B.refused C.earned D.presented

19.A.demands B.assesses C.collects D.recognizes

20.A.apart from B.because of C.instead of D.far from

高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Mr. Smith found that gas         from the pipe when he came back because we forgot to switch off. But at last we were lucky to escape           .

高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

A study by St． Louis University has found that a lovable dog named Sparky and a robotic dog AIBO, were about equally effective at reducing the loneliness of nursing home residents． The study confirmed previous findings that dogs have a good effect on nursing home residents（居民）．

Dr． Andrew Smith led the Stanford University team出at built a home-assistance robot． "If humans can feel an emotional tie with robots, some day they could be not just our assistants, but also our companions," he said．

To test whether residents responded better to Sparky, a trained dog, or the Sony-made robotic dog, researchers divided 38 nursing home residents into three groups at three long-term care centers in St, Louis.

One group had weekly 30-minute one-on-one visits with Sparky; another group had similar visits with AIBO; a control group had no contact with either dog．The groups' respective levels of loneliness were tested by having them answer a number of questions at the beginning and near the end of the visits．

After two months, both groups that had contact with the dogs were less lonely and more attached． Most of the elderly regarded Sparky, a 9-year-old dog, as an audience for their life stories, said investigator Marian Banks.

"He listened attentively, wagged his tail, and allowed them to pet him," said Banks, who adopted and trained Sparky after finding him in a street behind her home seven years ago．

Those who were together with AIBO took a little longer to warm to the robotic creature．Over time, however, they grew comfortable with him, and petted and talked to him． He would respond by wagging his tail,　 vocalizing（发出声音）, and blinking his lights．

"AIBO is charming once you start to interact with him," said the study's author, Dr． William Banks, " He's an attractive sort of guy． He gives a feeling: of being personal, not just a robot． "

1.Before the new study, it was known that　　　　　　　　　　　　 ．

A． dogs could help get rid of old people's loneliness

B． robots could build close connection with humans

C． robots were more effective at reducing people's loneliness

D． dogs and robots were equally effective at reducing loneliness

2.The first time those who contacted with the robotic dog　　　　　　　　 ．

A． accepted it immediately　　　

B． found it easy to interact with it

C． were not quite comfortable with it　　

D． were confused by its behavior

3.The findings of the researchers tell us that　　　　　　　　 .

A．　 robots are actually attractive sorts of guys

B． robots could make a good companion of the old.

C． it's easy for people to become close with robots

D．　 the elderly will have a robot assistant in no time

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

A． Robots Serve People Better Than Thought

B． No More Lonely Old Age with Emotional Robots

C． Dogs equipped with robots to Help the Elderly

D． Robots and Dogs Can Equally Cheer up the Elderly

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

In a study recently published in the journal Neuron, researchers found that super memorizers don’t have unusually large brain regions that allow them to remember a lot of information. 1. Here are a few of their favorite tricks that can help you to remember things in your everyday life.

To Remember: New words

Technique: Change routine

In a study, a group of students studied a list of words in two separate sessions. Some studied in a messy room ant some in a neat space. One group of students spent both sessions in the same room, while the other split the sessions between the two environments. During a test, the students who studied in multiple places remembered much more. 2. That includes the time of day, the music in the background, whether you sit or stand, etc.

To Remember: Your PIN

Technique: Count it out

You could use your birthday, or your phone number, but identity thieves have a way of figuring those numbers out. 3. Write a four- wort sentence. Then count the number of letters in each word. For instance, “This is my PIN” =4223.

To Remember: Faces

Technique: Focus on noses

White some super memorizes specialize in associating names with faces, the memory-palace technique doesn’t work as well if the image of the face is changed in any way. Rather than focusing on eyes, as most people do, focus on the centre or to the left of a person’s nose. 4.

To Remember: Facts & figures

Technique: 5.

To learn and remember statistics, reviewing the material repeatedly over a longer time is far more effective than repeating it in a shorter one. If your exam is in a week, study today and then again in a day or two. If it’s a month away, study today and then wait a week before your second session.

A. value exams

B. Give yourself time

C. This allows you to take in their whole face.

D. Their brain structures are in fact the same as the rest of ours.

E. Instead, try this tip from Dominic, an eight-time World Memory Champion.

F. The theory is that your brain links the words to the environment around you.

G. Studies showed that varying other aspects of your environment can also help.

高三英语七选五简单题查看答案及解析

Photos that you might have found down the back of your sofa are now big business!

In 2005,the American artist Richard Prince’s photograph of a photograph,Untitled (Cowboy),was sold for $1 248 000.

Prince is certainly not the only contemporary artist to have worked with so-called “found photographs”—a loose term given to everything from discarded(丢弃的)prints discovered in a junk shop to old advertisements or amateur photographs from a stranger’s family album.The German artist Joachim Schmid,who believes “basically everything is worth looking at”,has gathered discarded photographs,postcards and newspaper images since 1982.In his on-going project,Archiv,he groups photographs of family life according to themes:people with dogs;teams;new cars;dinner with the family;and so on.

Like Schmid,the editors of several self-published art magazines also champion(捍卫)found photographs.One of them,called simply Found,was born one snowy night in Chicago,when Davy Rothbard returned to his car to find under his wiper(雨刷)an angry note intended for someone else:“Why’s your car HERE at HER place?”The note became the starting point for Rothbard’s addictive publication,which features found photographs sent in by readers,such as a poster discovered in your drawer.

The whole found-photograph phenomenon has raised some questions.Perhaps one of the most difficult is:can these images really be considered as art?And,if so,whose art?Yet found photographs produced by artists,such as Richard Prince,may raise endless possibilities.What was the cowboy in Prince’s Untitled doing?Was he riding his horse hurriedly to meet someone?Or how did Prince create this photograph?It’s anyone’s guess.In addition,as we imagine the back-story to the people in the found photographs artists,like Schmid,have collated(整理),we also turn toward our own photographic albums.Why is memory so important to us?Why do we all seek to freeze in time the faces of our children,our parents,our lovers,and ourselves?Will they mean anything to anyone after we’ve gone?

In the absence of established facts,the vast collections of found photographs give our minds an opportunity to wander freely.That,above all,is why they are so fascinating.

1.The first paragraph of the passage is used to_______.

A.remind readers of found photographs

B.advise readers to start a new kind of business

C.ask readers to find photographs behind sofas

D.show readers the value of found photographs

2.According to the passage,Joachim Schmid_______.

A.is fond of collecting family life photographs

B.found a complaining note under his car wiper

C.is working for several self-published art magazines

D.wondered at the artistic nature of found photographs

3.The underlined word “them”in Paragraph 4 refers to“_______”.

A.the readers

B.the editors

C.the found photographs

D.the self-published magazines

4.By asking a series of questions in Paragraph 5,the author mainly intends to indicate that_______.

A.memory of the past is very important to people

B.found photographs allow people to think freely

C.the back-story of found photographs is puzzling

D.the real value of found photographs is questionable

5.The author’s attitude toward found photographs can be described as_______.

A.critical                                  B.doubtful

C.optimistic                                D.satisfied

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Photos that you might have found down the back of your sofa are now big business!

In 2005, the American artist Richard Prince’s photograph of a photograph, Untitled (Cowboy), was sold for $ 1,248,000.

Prince is certainly not the only contemporary artist to have worked with so-called “found photographs” — a loose term given to everything from discarded (丢弃的) prints discovered in a junk shop to old advertisements or amateur photographs from a stranger’s family album. The German artist Joachim Schmid, who believes “basically everything is worth looking at”, has gathered discarded photographs, postcards and newspaper images since 1982. In his on-going project, Archiv, he groups photographs of family life according to themes: people with dogs; teams; new cars; dinner with the family; and so on.

Like Schmid, the editors of several self-published art magazines also champion (捍卫，维护) found photographs. One of them, called simply Found, was born one snowy night in Chicago, when Davy Rothbard returned to his car to find under his wiper (雨刷) an angry note intended for someone else: “Why’s your car HERE at HER place?” The note became the starting point for Rothbard’s addictive publication, which features found photographs sent in by readers, such as poster discovered in our drawer.

The whole found-photograph phenomenon has raised some questions. Perhaps one of the most difficult is; can these images really be considered as art? And if so, whose art? Yet found photographs produced by artists, such as Richard Prince, may raise endless possibilities. What was the cowboy in Orince’s Untitled doing? Was he riding his horse hurriedly to meet someone? Or how did Prince create this photograph? It’s anyone’s guess. In addition, as we imagine the back-story to the people in the found photographs artists, like Schmid, have collated (整理), we also turn toward our own photographic albums. Why is memory so important to us? Why do we all seek to freeze in time the faces of our children, our parents, our lovers, and ourselves? Will they mean anything to anyone after we’ve gone?

In the absence of established facts, the vast collections of found photographs give our minds an opportunity to wander freely. That, above all, is why they are so fascinating.

1.The first paragraph of the passage is used to 　　　　 .

A. remind readers of found photographs

B. advise reader to start a new kind of business

C. ask readers to find photographs behind sofa

D. show readers the value of found photographs

2.The underlined word “them” in Para 4 refers to 　　　　 .

A. the readers　　 B. the editors

C. the found photographs　　 D. the self-published magazines

3.By asking a series of questions in Para 5, the author mainly intends to indicate that 　　　　 .

A. memory of the past is very important to people

B. found photographs allow people to think freely

C. the back-story of found photographs is puzzling

D. the real value of found photographs is questionable

4.The author’s attitude towards found photographs can be described as 　　　　 .

A. critical　　 B. doubtful

C. optimistic　　 D. satisfied

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

In a recent study of 19-month-olds, University of Chicago doctoral student Lauren Howard found that children who heard various languages in their neighborhoods were more receptive to people who spoke languages other than their parents ‘language.

“We measured imitation. At this age, that’s how they show us their willingness to learn, ”explained Howard. The lead author of the report titled Neighborhood Linguistic Diversity Predicts Infants' Social Learning. The experiments tested how well the babies could learn new tasks from a non- English speaker.

The study, which included 82 children from the Chicago and Washington areas, was in the November issue of Cognition.

“Babies are not only affected by parents and caregivers--- previous studies proved that --but also by people they hear at the store or on the bus, "Howard said. “Incidental exposure matters.”

The study indicates that kids in diverse communities may grow up to have open minds. Good news for families living in such neighborhoods--- but can other families do something to increase children's cultural exposure？

Cultural diversity can be within reach, even in unlikely areas. Although she grew up in not very diverse"， Julie, 23， said she picked up much knowledge about other languages and cultures from the many students her family hosted through the AFS-USA international student exchange program.

“It’s the little differences that make you more understanding and less judgmental, ”Julie said “Yuilya from Kazakhstan, for example, was very disciplined because she couldn't go to college unless her grades were good. Matias from Paraguay wasn't used to being on time because his culture is more laid-back. ”

For families unable to host a student for a whole year, AFS-USA offers other volunteer opportunities, such as being “welcome families ”to ease students ’ transitions（过渡）.

But there are countless ways to expose kids to other countries, said Lucas, author of “Growing Up Global: Raising Children to Be at Home in the World.”

Just a few of her tips: Take the kids to foreign films. Try exotic restaurants. Put a world map on the wall. Help your children’s teachers make global classrooms. Encourage the kids to invite friends of other cultures for dinner. “They’ll thank you later, "Lucas said.

1.What does Howard stress by saying "Incidental exposure matters"？

A.Babies are also influenced by people outside their home

B.Parents fail to realize the importance of incidental learning

C.Parents and caregivers have more influence on babies

D.Babies learn little knowledge at the store or on the bus.

2.How was Julie exposed to different cultures？

A.She frequently volunteered in some welcome families

B.She lived in neighborhoods with various language learn

C.She was a member of the AFS-USA program

D.She learned from the foreign students living in her home

3.Which might be Julie's attitude to Matias's lateness？

A.Curious B.Happy

C.Tolerant D.anger

4.What are Lucas's tips mainly about？

A.How to improve children’s behavior

B.How to teach children foreign languages

C.How to better communicate with children.

D.How to help children seek diversity

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Fear may be felt in the heart as well as in the head, according to a study that has found a link between the cycles of a beating heart and the chance of someone feeling fear.

Tests on healthy volunteers found that they were more likely to feel a sense of fear at the moment when their hearts are contracting(收缩) and pumping blood around their bodies, compared with the point when the heartbeat is relaxed. Scientists say the results suggest that the heart is able to influence how the brain responds to a fearful event, depending on which point it is at in its regular cycle of contraction and relaxation.

Sarah Garfinkel at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School said: "Our study shows for the first time that the way in which we deal with fear is different depending on when we see fearful pictures in relation to our heart."

The study tested 20 healthy volunteers on their reactions to fear as they were shown pictures of fearful faces. Dr Garfinkel said, "The study showed that fearful faces are better noticed when the heart is pumping than when it is relaxed. Thus our hearts can also affect what we see and what we don't see - and guide whether we see fear."

To further understand this relationship, the scientists also used a brain scanner(扫描仪) to show how the brain influences the way the heart changes a person's feeling of fear. “We have found an important mechanism by which the heart and brain ‘speak’to each other to change our feelings and reduce fear," Dr Garfinkel said.

"We hope that by increasing our understanding about how fear is dealt with and ways that it could be reduced, we may be able to develop more successful treatments for anxiety disorders, and also for those for those who may be suffering from serious stress disorder."

1.What is the finding of the study?

A．One's heart affects how he feels fear.

B．fear is a result of one's relaxed heartbeat.

C．fear has something to do with one's health.

D．Ones fast heartbeats are likely to cause fear.

2.The study was carried out by analyzing _______.

A．volunteers' heartbeats when they saw terrible pictures

B．the time volunteers saw fearful pictures and their health conditions

C．volunteers' reactions to horrible pictures and data from their brain scans

D．different pictures shown to volunteers and their heart-brain communication

3.Which of the following is closest in meaning to "mechanism" in Paragraph 6?

A．Order.            B．system.           C．machine.          D．treatment.

4.This study may contribute to _______.

A．treating anxiety and stress better

B．explaining the cycle of fear and anxiety

C．finding the sky to the heart-brain communication

D．understanding different fears in our hearts and heads

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析