London, New York, Tokyo and Paris these famou...

London, New York, Tokyo and Paris these famous cities have a commanding influence on the world economy and are home to millions of people, as well as internationally famous arts, culture and educational institutions. But they are hardly representative of the rest of the world’s cities. While 54% of the global population live in cities, around half of those live in cities that have 500,000 inhabitants or fewer.

These “ordinary” cities can be overlooked by politicians, investors, researchers and big businesses. But they are dynamic places with many layers of social, cultural and economic significance. After experiencing a period of post-industrial decline, many such cities are considering urban regeneration (再生) programmes.

But that doesn't mean they have to follow the same path as other urban areas. In fact, the research into urban development has found that ordinary cities can avoid some of the ill effects of regeneration, by embracing what makes them unique.

At the turn of the century, city leaders became increasingly interested in the idea of the “creative city,” The idea was to encourage a “creative class” of talented workers to make their homes and businesses in cities, by creating urban spaces that are open, inclusive and diverse, as well as attractive and technologically advanced.

“Regeneration” became a buzzword associated with these types of strategies, which seek to repurpose seemingly disused or rundown spaces to support an economy led by creative and technological industries. The apparent success of creative city policies was seen in post-industrial centres such as Detroit, US, following investments in cultural, artistic and musical urban renewal.

Such policies swiftly became the go-to strategy for seemingly “ordinary” post-industrial cities around the world, even resulting in new rankings that pit cities against each other, based on criteria including entrepreneurship (创业精神), urban leadership and “liveability”. Having plenty of former industrial spaces that can be adapted for new uses, and a desire to be noticed on the national or global stage, encourages investment in urban regeneration from both public and private sources.

Yet regeneration programmes inspired by the creative city agenda can cause problems. Property developers (地产开发商) and foreign investors have recognized the economic potential of real estate(房地产) in “creative” cities. This has led to rocketing land costs, and many low-income residents have felt the effects of being displaced from their homes.

Yet as more cities seek to emphasize their cultural assets(资产), city leaders and policy makers must be aware of the negative impacts that can arise if local residents are not central to the decision-making process. This emphasizes the need to consider local contexts and communities before operating copycat creative policies.

1.Some famous cities can’t represent the rest of the world's cities in that____________.

A.they are always ignored by politicians, researchers and businessmen

B.they accommodate millions of people but don't contribute to the world economy.

C.about a quarter of global population live in middle-sized and small cities.

D.not all famous arts, culture and educational organizations are distributed there.

2.What measure was probably taken by cities like Detroit to promote city development?

A.Using culture and art as a driving force.

B.Forcing low-income residents to move.

C.Following the same path as some big cities.

D.Encouraging industrial investment continuously.

3.What does the author want to stress in the passage?

A.Cities should copy regeneration programmes.

B.Cities should compete with each other based on some criteria.

C.Cities should seek financial support from sources around the world.

D.Cities should consider regional factors before using creative policies.

4.What does the passage mainly talk about?

A.Ordinary cities successfully avoid ill-effects of development.

B.Ordinary cities don' t have to copy trends to regenerate.

C.Ordinary cities are trying to recover from post-industrial decline.

D.Ordinary cities are dynamic places with social importance.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Rome, Paris and New York are the world’s top fashion cities, all of which have produced some of the top trends, from fashionable skirts to the hottest new shoes. But have you ever wondered about the negative ideas that they have enforced?

In April 2016, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in Britain banned an ad from Gucci that featured models dancing around and having fun, because they were all extremely skinny. Banning ads due to the models’ extreme figures isn’t new. The ASA banned an ad in 2015 for the same reason. In France, it has been ruled that models are to provide a doctor’s no providing that they are at a healthy weight.

So what is the healthy weight for models? Twenty years ago, the average fashion model weighed 8% less than the average woman. Today, they weigh 23 less.

People may think that being at an unhealthy weight will help them gain the benefits that the models do. This provides a standard of beauty, and therefore people who want to achieve those things may attempt to obtain them through unhealthy ways. People may think that they are overweight, due to the images of models’ thin figures. They see something wrong with their bodies whether they are overweight or not. This is a key factor in a lowered body image, low self-esteem, depression and possibly even eating disorders.

I’m not blaming the fashion industry by any means. It’s not their fault that many people look up to the models and expect to live a life like theirs. I am glad that the ASA is raising its voices when discussing the growing issue of body images in the fashion industry. By banning photos and videos, speaking out against them and pushing for doctor’s notes from the models, it’s pushing for the ideas that the traditional fashion industry’s body image demands should be changed and something more needs to be questioned.

1.According to the text, why was one of Gucci’s ads banned?

A. Because the models didn’t act according to the rule

B. Because its models are much too thin.

C. Because none of its models had a doctor’s note

D. Because its models were dancing in an unhealthy way

2.We can infer from the numbers mentioned in paragraph 3 that 　　　　 .

A. many women on a diet to become models

B. people don’t know why models weigh less

C. models are becoming thinner with time going by

D. the healthy weight for models hasn’t been decided .

3.What does the fourth paragraph mainly show?

A. The changes in the standard of beauty　　 B. The benefits of becoming thin figures.

C. The negative effects of models images　　 D. people’s attitudes towards models’ images

4.What is the author’s tone of writing this passage?

A. Objective　　 B. Hopeful.

C. Critical.　　 D. Humorous.

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Cities such as New York, Washington, Boston and San Francisco have launched bike-share programs to ease traffic jam, improve public health, and cut carbon emissions (排放). Cyclists in those cities tend to choose bike-sharing to make their trips to office or home faster, cheaper, and more fun. Last year, U.S. bike-share riders completed nearly 46 million trips—more than twice as many trips from the previous year.

Yet despite these programs’ advantages and popularity, there are still huge challenges. Take, for instance, the distribution (分布) of bikes. The living area face shortages of bicycles in the morning rush, while business districts do not have enough bikes in the evening. What’s more, parking places can be full at certain hours, making it difficult for riders to return the bikes once they’ve reached their destinations.

Solving this problem is not easy. David B. Shmoys and his colleagues set out to develop complex algorithms(算法) and advanced analytics(逻辑法) to solve the challenges of bike-share operations.

One area in which the methods were applied was the Bike Angels program. As part of the program, cyclists can be rewarded with points by renting or returning bikes at certain high-need stations. Today, Bike Angels accounts for roughly 30 percent of bike rebalancing in New York City. It has greatly improved customer satisfaction which, in turn, has more riders. And more importantly, this form of rebalancing comes with a much less carbon emissions, because less box trucks are needed to move the bikes!

David B. Shmoys and his colleagues applied algorithms and analytics to solve other problems, too. However, they can not solve every new transportation problem. They have many limitations, including incomplete information. That is, David B. Shmoys and his colleagues only observe the realized rentals (returns) at stations at which bikes were available, not those that were blocked due to the imbalance of the system.

1.Which is not one of the advantages of bike-share program?

A.It helps people save money.

B.It helps improve the air quality.

C.It provides more bikes for cyclists.

D.It helps people build up their bodies.

2.What is mainly talked about in paragraph 2?

A.Riders do not want to return the bikes.

B.The distribution of bikes is a big problem.

C.People do not have enough bikes in the morning.

D.The bike-share program is very popular in New York.

3.What do we know about the Bike Angels program?

A.It had more users due to the algorithms.

B.It increased the use of box trucks.

C.It awarded riders cash for renting bikes.

D.It re-balanced all the bikes in New York.

4.What does the underlined word “they” in the last paragraph probably refer to?

A.other problems

B.carbon emissions

C.algorithms and analytics

D.Transportation problems

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

How to Save on Sightseeing New York City Attractions

With so many unique attractions, world-famous museums, theaters, and skyscrapers there is always plenty to do in New York． However, sightseeing, in New York City might not be the easiest or the cheapest experience．

This is why our team of real, life-long New Yorkers has created the New York Pass． If you want to discover the best of what this amazing city offers while still saving some time and money on your visit, the New York Pass is something you should be interested in．

How You Benefit from The New York Pass?

Free entry to over 50 attractions – Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Museum of Modern Art, Madison Square Garden Tour,． NBC Studio Tours, New York Aquarium．& many others．

Free 140-page guidebook in English, German & Spanish, containing hours of operation, maps and directions to every tourist attraction , shop and restaurant．

Line skipping privileges（特权）－As a New York Pass holder you are entitled (享有权利)to fast track entry to the New York City ‘s busiest attractions．

Over 650 worth of entrance fees－that’s how much it would cost if you visited all the attractions that New York Pass grants entrance to –wihtout using the New York Pass． That doesn’t even include the additional discounts you receive for having a NY Pass．

100% Risk Free, Money Back Guarantee－New York Pass insurance gives you extra comfort in case your travel plans change, offering refund on non-used Passes．

Plese Note:

You can visit as many attractions as you want－even more with the time saved with fast track entry ． You don't need to carry too much cash and the New York Pass keeps control on your spending．

New York Pass Prices;

Offer Ends : Fri  13 Feb 2009

1．What is the main purpose of this passage?

A．To attract tourists to New York．

B．To describe how to use the New York Pass．

C．To introduc the New York Pass．

D．To explain why the New York Pass is created

2．What benefit can you get from the New York Pass

A．You can change your travel plans as you like,

B．You can get the free guidebook in four languages．

C．You don’t have to carry cash with you

D．You can visit the Statue of Liberty for free．

3．Jack and his two kids will visit New York for three days in January in 2009,how much should he pay for the New York Pass?

A． 304         B． 380            C．420        D．520

4．If the Empire State Building is too crowded, you can

A．get the refund from the New York Pass immediately

B．enter it before others by using the New York Pass

C．get more discounts and save more money

D．visit many other attractions as long as you want

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

How to Save on Sightseeing New York City Attractions With so many unique attractions， world-famous museums， theaters， and skyscrapers there is always plenty to do in New York． However， sightseeing， in New York City might not be the easiest or the cheapest experience．

This is why our team of real， life-long New Yorkers has created the New York Pass． If you want to discover the best of what this amazing city offers while still saving some time and money on your visit， the New York Pass is something you should be interested in．

How You Benefit from the New York Pass

Free entry to over 50attractions---Empire State Building， Statue of Liberty， Museum of Modern Art， Madison Square Garden Tour， NBC Studio Tours， New York Aquarium & many others．

Free 140-page guidebook in English， German & Spanish， containing hours of operation， maps and directions to every tourist attraction， shop and restaurant．

Line skipping privileges （特权）， as a New York Pass holder you are entitled to fast track entry to the New York City's busiest attractions．

Over 650 worth of entrance fees---that's how much it would cost if you visited all the attractions that New York Pass grants entrance to---without using the New York Pass． That doesn't even include the additional discounts you receive for having a NY Pass．

100% Risk Free， Money Back Guarantee---New York Pass insurance gives you extra comfort in case your travel plans change， offering refund on non-used Passes．

Please Note：

You can visit as many attractions as you want---even more with the time saved with fast track entry． You don't need to carry too much cash and the New York Pass keeps control on your spending．

New York Pass Prices：

Offer Ends： Fri 13Feb 2016

1.What is the main purpose of this passage？ ______

A. To introduce the New York Pass．

B. To attract more tourists to New York．

C. To describe how to use the New York Pass．

D. To explain why the New York Pass is created．

2.What benefit can you get from the New York Pass？ ______

A. You don't have to carry cash with you．

B. You can visit the Statue of Liberty for free．

C. You can change your travel plans as you like．

D. You can get the free guidebook in four languages．

3.Jack and his two kids will visit New York for three days in January in 2016， how much should he pay for the New York Pass？ ______

A. ﹩520 B. ﹩420

C. ﹩380 D. ﹩304

4.The underlined phrase "are entitled to" most probably means "are given ______ of"．

A. the name B. the honor

C. the privilege D. the title

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

_____ New York _______ London are two of the largest cities in the world.

A. Either; or 　 B. Both; and

C. Neither; nor 　 D. Not only; but also

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

As you know, there are many fantastic parks in New York City.

Central Park

One of the most famous parks in the world, Central Park is a man-made wonder. Not only is it the first public park built in America, but it is also one of the most frequently visited parks, with over 25 million guests per year. Set in the middle of busy Manhattan, its grounds serve as a safe harbor, not only for athletes, and musicians but also for lots of migratory birds each year. One can spend an entire peaceful day wandering its grounds, gazing upon nearly 50 fountains, monuments, and sculptures or admiring its 36 bridges.

Hudson River Park

Hudson River Park is a waterside park on the Hudson River that extends from 59th Street south to Battery Park in the New York City district of Manhattan. Bicycle and pedestrian paths, including the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, span the park north to south, opening up the waterfront for the public to relax. The park includes tennis and soccer fields, children’s playground, dog run, and many other features.

Washington Square Park

Washington Square Park, located in the heart of Greenwich Village, is a very popular and often crowded place. People from all backgrounds gather to this large square dotted with trees.

Central Park Zoo

The Central Park Zoo is a small 6. 5-acre zoo located on Central Park in New York City. The zoo began in the 1860s, making it the first official zoo to open in New York. The zoo was improved in 1934, with the addition of many new buildings ranged in a quadrangle around the sea lion pool. Finally, the zoo was repaired in the mid-1980s and reopened in 1988, replacing the old-fashioned cages with naturalistic environments.

1.Which park is set in the heart of Greenwich Village?

A. Central Park.　　 B. Hudson River Park.

C. Washington Square Park.　　 D. Central Park Zoo.

2.What can we learn about Central Park?

A. It is the first public park built in the world.

B. It is primarily a man-made park.

C. It was the most crowded park when first built.

D. It especially attracts pedestrians and artists.

3.When was the first official zoo in New York improved for the first time?

A. In1934.　　 B. In the 1860s.

C. In the mid-1980s.　　 D. In 1988.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Close your eyes and picture the city of Paris．Now imagine the city without its most famous landmark：the Eiffel Tower．

The unthinkable almost happened．

When French engineer Gustave Eiffel built this tower for the Paris World’s Fair of 1889，it was controversial．The iron structure contrasted(对比)sharply with the historic stone buildings of Paris．Eiffel’s four-legged iron archway was supposed to last only 20 years．That’s when Eiffel’s permit to operate the building would expire(过期)and the city could choose to tear it down．

Yet from the beginning．Eiffel had a strategy to save his building．If the Tower was linked　 to important research，he reasoned，no one would dare to take it down．So he would make it a　 grand laboratory for science．

Scientific research began just one day after the Tower opened to the public on May 6，1889．Eiffel installed a weather station on the Tower’s third(and highest)floor．He connected　 instruments by wire to the French weather bureau in Paris．With these，he measured wind speed　 and air pressure．

In 1903，still worried that his building might be torn down，Eiffel got a clever idea．He　 asked the French military to conduct its own research on radio communications at the Tower．He even paid the army’s costs．

French army captain Gustave Ferrié worked from a little wooden house at the base of the　 Tower's southern pillar．From there，he made radio contact with forts around Paris．Convinced of the importance of radio communications，the army set up a permanent radio station at the　 Tower．In 1910，the city of Paris renewed the structure’s permit for another 70 years．

This year marks the iconic structure’s 125th birthday．Over the years，research conducted　 there has brought dramatic and unexpected payoffs．During World War I，for instance，the French army used the Tower as a giant ear to receive radio messages．It even led to the arrest of one of the war's most famous spies．

1.What does the author mean by“The unthinkable almost happened”?

A．The Eiffel Tower was almost torn down．

B．Gustave Eiffel was more than an engineer．

C．It took great efforts to build the Eiffel Tower．

D．The Eiffel Tower has served important purposes．

2.The Eiffel Tower was controversial because_____________．

A．it was giant and ugly

B．it would expire too soon

C．some historic buildings had to be removed

D．it didn’t match the historic buildings of Paris

3.How did Gustave Eiffel save the Eiffel Tower?

A．By asking the army to defend it．

B．By showing its importance for tourism．

C．By making it a base for scientific research．

D．By asking the government to renew its permit．

4.The arrest of a famous spy is mentioned to show．

A．the Eiffel Tower has lost its initial value

B．the Eiffel Tower has existed long enough

C．research done in the Eiffel Tower had unexpected payoffs

D．the Eiffel Tower was successfully preserved during the war

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

—Which city do you like best, Paris, London or Rome?

—　　. There’re good points and bad points about all the three cities.

A. Not necessarily            B. It’s hard to say

C. Not really                D. No, I don’t

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Some of the world’s most famous musicians recently gathered in Paris and New Orleans to celebrate the first annual International Jazz Day. UNESCO( United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) recently set April 30 as a day to raise awareness of jazz music, its significance, and its potential as a unifying(联合) voice across cultures.

Despite the celebrations, though, in the U.S. the jazz audience continues to shrink and grow older, and the music has failed to connect with younger generations.

It’s Jason Moran’s job to help change that. As the Kennedy Center’s artistic adviser for jazz, Moran hopes to widen the audience for jazz, make the music more accessible, and preserve its history and culture.

“Jazz seems like it’s not really a part of the American appetite,” Moran tells National Public Radio’s reporter Neal Conan. “What I’m hoping to accomplish is that my generation and younger start to reconsider and understand that jazz is not black and write anymore. It’s actually color, and it’s actually digital.”

Moran says one of the problems with jazz today is that the entertainment aspect of the music has been lost. “The music can’t be presented today the way it was in 1908 or 1958. It has to continue to move, because the way the world works is not the same,” says Moran.

Last year, Moran worked on a project that arranged Fats Waller’s music for a dance party, “Just to kind of put it back in the mind that Waller is dance music as much as it is concert music,” says Moran. “For me, it’s the recontextualization. In music, where does the emotion(情感) lie? Are we, as humans, gaining any insight(感悟) on how to talk about ourselves and how something as abstract as a Charlie Parker record gets us into a dialogue about our emotions and our thoughts? Sometimes we lose sight that the music has a wider context,” says Moran, “so I want to continue those dialogues. Those are the things I want to foster.”

1.Why did UNESCO set April 30 as International Jazz Day?

A.To remember the birth of jazz.

B.To protect cultural diversity.

C.To encourage people to study music.

D.To recognize the value of jazz.

2.What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A.Jazz becoming more accessible.

B.The production of jazz growing faster.

C.Jazz being less popular with the young.

D.The jazz audience becoming larger.

3.What can we infer about Moran’s opinion on jazz?

A.It will disappear gradually.

B.It remains black and white.

C.It should keep up with the times.

D.It changes every 50 years.

4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A.Exploring the Future of Jazz.

B.The Rise and Fall of Jazz.

C.The Story of a Jazz Musician.

D.Celebrating the Jazz Day.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析