It’s not every day that you see pigeons(鸽子)wi...

It’s not every day that you see pigeons(鸽子)with cowboy hats on their tiny heads walking or flying around, unless you live in Las Vegas, where cowboy-hat-wearing pigeons are actually a thing people have been constantly taking about these days.

It all started on December 5, when a Las Vegas citizen named Bobby Lee noticed two funny-looking birds walking near a dustbin. The pigeons drew his attention because they were wearing tiny cowboy hats — one red and one grey — so he took out his smartphone and started filming them. Later, he uploaded the video online, where is quickly spread. The next day, everyone was talking about Las Vegas’ cowboy-hat-wearing pigeons, and Lee was getting phone calls from agencies trying to license his video.

It was only a matter of time before news outlets picked up the story and reported on the mysterious pigeon cowboys spotted around Las Vegas. The only link anyone could think of was the Wrangler National Rodeo Finals that were taking place in town at the time, but the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, which organized the event, denied any involvement.

While some netizens just found the idea cute and jumped at the opportunity to catch the pigeons on camera if they spotted them around Vegas, others expressed concern about the birds’ well-being. They even mentioned animal cruelty.

Hillman, the founder of local pigeon rescue Lofty Hopes, said that her organization was trying to track down the birds and remove their hats, but trapping them with food has proven very difficult so far. That’s because the two known cowboy-hat-wearing pigeons have become very popular around Las Vegas, and people are constantly throwing them much food.

“When you see them today, you could see some loose feathers in the glue around the hat, and it’s surely a concern,” Hillman said, adding that she believed the hats had been glued on with a strong adhesive (粘合剂).

1.What has been a hot topic in Las Vegas recently?

A.The return of cowboy hats. B.Pigeons approaching people.

C.Pigeons wearing cowboy hats. D.The hobby of watching pigeons.

2.What made Bobby Lee film the two pigeons with his smartphone?

A.Their unusual decorations. B.Their unique feather colors.

C.Their great popularity online. D.Their strange way of walking.

3.What was netizens’ attitude towards the pigeon cowboys?

A.They went too far about them. B.They thought nothing of them.

C.They showed little interest in them. D.They had a mixed response to them.

4.Why is it hard to trap the two pigeons with food?

A.Because they are rather particular about food.

B.Because they always have abundant food to eat.

C.Because they are smart enough not to be tricked.

D.Because they are well protected by pigeon watchers.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Money with no strings attached. It’s not something you see every day. But at Union Station in Los Angeles last month, a board went up with dollar bills attached to it with pins and a sign that read, “Give What You Can, Take What You Need.”

People quickly caught on. And while many took dollars, many others pinned their own cash to the board. “People of all ages, races, and socio-economic(社会经济的) backgrounds gave and took,” said Tyler Bridges of The Toolbox, which created the project. “We even had a bride in her wedding dress come up to the board and take a few dollars.” Most of the bills on the board were singles, but a few people left fives, tens and even twenties. The video clip(片段) shows one man who had found a $ 20 bill pinning it to the board.

“What I can say for the folks that gave the most, is that they were full of smiles,” Bridges said. “There’s a certain feeling that giving can do for you and that was apparent in those that gave the most.” Most people who took dollars took only a few, but Bridges said a very small number took as much as they could.

While the clip might look like part of a new ad campaign, Bridges said the only goal was to show generosity and sympathy. He added that he hopes people in other cities might try similar projects and post their own videos on the Internet.

“After all, everyone has bad days and good days,” he said. “Some days you need a helping hand and some days you can be the one giving the helping hand.”

1.What does the expression “money with no strings attached” in paragraph 1 mean?

A.Money spent without hesitation.

B.Money not legally made.

C.Money offered without conditions.

D.Money not tied together.

2.What did Bridges want to show by mentioning the bride?

A.Women tended to be more sociable.

B.The activity attracted various people.

C.Economic problems were getting worse.

D.Young couples needed financial assistance.

3.Why did Bridges carry out the project?

A.To do a test on people’s morals.

B.To raise money for his company.

C.To earn himself a good reputation.

D.To promote kindness and sympathy.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The trouble with school is that you can’t choose the people you get to see every day. If you’re unlucky enough to be stuck with classmates who don’t really “get” you, you’ve just got to try to make the best of it.

But that doesn’t mean you need to “fit in”, or at least in the way that people think. If you try to transform yourself into a clone of everyone else, it won’t help you make friends. It’ll just make you feel like a fake.

You also shouldn’t shut down or refuse to be friends with everyone who doesn’t like you. If you do that, you’ll just make yourself miserable. Instead, you’ve got to work on being comfortable and confident with whom you are while ignoring all the haters. Keep on speaking up, asking questions and getting to know people better. If you send out positive energy, then people will generally send some back to you. A couple of them will stay the same, and you’re allowed to forget about them.

If you feel like you’re doing all that but still not getting anywhere, then don’t give up. Just expand your circle. Get a part-time job at a cool-looking place, join an after-school art class or youth group—do whatever it takes to find a couple of like-minded people to connect with. Even if you don’t find anyone right away, you’ll still be getting some more social experiences under your belt, and that’s always a good thing.

A fun book called Uncool, by Erin Elisabeth Conley, has some tips for folks like you who want to stay positive at school while being true to your personality:

·Throw caution to the wind.

·Don’t tolerate others’ mistakes.

·Have patience with people who are different from you.

·Don’t change just because someone else thinks you should.

·Know that even though you may be a misfit, there’s always some place where you will be welcomed in the world.

1.According to the author, what should you do if you meet people who don’t appreciate you?

A. Just give up.

B. Ask someone else for help.

C. Show positive attitude toward them.

D. Try your best to fit in with them.

2.The author agrees that you should take part in more activities in order to __________.

A. get more chances of making friends

B. lay a better foundation for your future jobs

C. transform yourself into a clone.

D. make you feel like a fake.

3.In the book Uncool, Erin Elisabeth Conley thinks you should _________.

A. always be kind to your friends

B. keep your own personality

C. tolerate others’ mistakes

D. help improve characters of others

4.This passage was written mainly for _______.

A. doctors　　　 B. scientists

C. students　　 D. Teachers

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

If you look on the Internet, you will see that almost every day of the year celebrates some kind of food. These “holidays” have become very popular across the United States. They give people a chance to enjoy something they might not eat normally, like National Onion (洋葱) Ring Day, for example. Food holidays also give restaurants and other businesses a chance to promote their products.

But where did these American “holidays” come from? Many are the invention of an Alabama man, John-Bryan Hopkins. He writes about food for his Foodimentary. com website. Hopkins told Time magazine that when he began his site in 2006, there were only 175 “holidays.” “I filled in the rest,” he said.

The National Day Calendar has a list of all the different food and non-food related “holidays.” In the past, the website used to let anyone create their own day—for a price. But now, the site only accepts requests from businesses and other organizations.

While some food “holidays” are indeed made-up, many have historical roots. For example, National Beer Day on April 7 marks the end of a U. S. ban on the production, transport, import and sale of alcoholic drinks. The ban lasted from 1920 until 1933.

The Salvation Army, a Christian group, launched U. S. National Doughnut Day on June 1, 1938. It was meant to honor women who served soldiers doughnuts during World War I.

But not everyone likes food holidays. Bethany Jean Clement is a food writer for the Seattle Times newspaper. She wrote, “I get that some people might be excited by, say, National Doughnut Day. But you really can have a doughnut any day you want!”

Tavi Juarez, also of Foodimentary. com, thinks national food holidays are here to stay. She told the Seattle Times, “In my modest opinion, I believe that food holidays will continue to grow in popularity online because there’s a lot of negativity (消极) out there. Why not choose to celebrate food instead?”

1.Why does the website accept others’ own day?

A. To promote traditional food.　　 B. To make money.

C. To create new holidays.　　 D. To attract more viewers.

2.What is National Beer Day related to?

A. Law.　　 B. War.

C. Right.　　 D. Custom.

3.Who dislikes food holidays?

A. John-Bryan Hopkins.　　 B. The Salvation Army.

C. Bethany Jean Clement.　　 D. Tavi Juarez.

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

A. Good Chances to Enjoy Particular Foods.

B. Traditional American Foods on the Internet.

C. Tricks of Businesses: Promotion of Products.

D. National Food Days: An American Tradition.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

If you look on the Internet, you will see that almost every day of the year celebrates some kind of food. These “holidays” have become very popular across the United States. They often are trending stories on Twitter, and described in the U.S. media. They give people a chance to enjoy something they might not eat normally, like National Onion Ring Day, for example.Food holidays also give restaurants and other businesses a chance to promote their products.

But where did these distinctly American “holidays” come from?

Many are the invention of an Alabama man, John-Bryan Hopkins. He writes about food for his Foodimentary.com website.Hopkins told Time magazine that when he began his site in 2006, there were only 175 “holidays.” “I filled in the rest,” he said. Some of his favorites are National Oreo Cookie Day on March 6 and National Tater Tot Day on February 2.

The National Day Calendar has a list of all the different food and non-food related “holidays.” In the past, the website used to let anyone create their own day -- for a price. But now, the site only accepts requests from businesses and other organizations.

While some food “holidays” are indeed made-up, many have historical roots. For example, National Beer Day on April 7 marks the end of a U.S. ban on the production, transport, import and sale of alcoholic drinks. The ban lasted from 1920 until 1933. The Salvation Army, a Christian group, launched U.S. National Doughnut Day on June 1, 1938. It was meant to honor women who served soldiers doughnuts during World War I.

But not everyone likes food holidays.Bethany Jean Clement is a food writer for the Seattle Times newspaper.She wrote, “I get that some people might be excited by, say, National Doughnut Day.But you really can have a doughnut any day you want!”

Tavi Juarez, of Foodimentary.com, thinks national food holidays are here to stay. She told the Seattle Times, “In my humble opinion, I believe that food holidays will continue to grow in popularity online. Because there’s a lot of negativity out there, why not choose to celebrate food instead?”

1.What can we learn about food holidays from Paragraph 1？

A. People can enjoy their favorite food on the holidays.

B. Restaurants will make much money during the holidays.

C. People can eat any food they want on the holidays.

D. Only special food are served on the holidays.

2.When did the first National Beer Day probably begin?

A. In 1920　　 B. In 1933

C. In 1913　　 D. In 1938

3.How many food holidays are mentioned in the passage?

A. Four　　 B. Six

C. Five　　 D. Three

4.What advice does Tavi Juare give in the last Paragraph?

A. Celebrating food holidays.

B. Celebrating food instead of food holidays.

C. To reduce the negativity of food holidays.

D. To support food holidays online.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

As you can see，water works hard in your body every day.That’s why it’s important　 to give your body the water it needs to carry out all its different jobs.On a regular day，your body loses 2 to 3 quarts of water—enough to fill a 2­liter soda bottle.You probably guess that water is lost when you sweat—especially　　 on a hot day.

But your body also loses water in an almost invisible way—evaporation (蒸发)．Water escapes from your body through your skin and in your breath.How？Your breath contains droplets (小滴) of water that are usually too tiny to see.They become visible for a quick second in the cold when you can “see your breath”．But water evaporates this way all year round.Your skin also contains water，which escapes in tiny droplets that go into　 the air.The water in your skin evaporates into the air，but fortunately，your body can replace the water it loses so your skin doesn’t dry out.

Eating and drinking is one way to replace the water your body loses.Most foods have a lot of water in them，especially fruits and vegetables.Grapes，watermelons，oranges，and cantaloupes are delicious and full of water.

But you can’t rely_on food alone to get that water back，and that’s why it’s also a good idea to drink water　 every day.You might have heard someone say that people need to drink 6 to 8 cups (1.4 to 1.9 liters) of water each day.Depending on how much　 water you’re getting from foods and other liquids,6 to 8 cups might not be necessary.If you eat a lot of fruits and vegetables，or you like to eat soup every day，you’ll get some of the water your body needs.

1. You should drink enough water every day because________.

A．your body needs too much water

B．water does all kinds of jobs in your body

C．your body loses a lot of water every day

D．the more water you drink the better you feel

2. Water in your body loses by the following ways EXCEPT________.

A．breathing　     B．evaporating

C．sweating　     D．eating

3. Your body has to give enough water to your skin in order to________.

A．keep the water in your skin clean

B．stop your skin from drying out

C．stop the water from losing

D．keep your skin clean all the time

4. What does the underlined phrase “rely on” in the fourth paragraph mean?

A．Eat up.　     B．Receive.

C．Depend upon.　     D．Digest.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

What hat is the man looking for?

A. The cowboy hat.

B. The one with stars.

C. The one with a baseball logo.

高三英语短对话中等难度题查看答案及解析

It’s not every day that United States history mixes with microbes (微生物) in the soil. But when the grassland on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. was replaced, it offered scientists the opportunity to study changes in the soil beneath.

The work focused on the bacteria present in the soil. To the researchers’ surprise, the communities of microbes did not change a lot before and after the replacement. These communities in the soil are known as the soil microbiome (微生物群).

“My lab is interested in how microbes can move around in the environment , and how they change and adapt as a result of this movement,” explains Jo Anne Crouch, the lead author of the study. “We thought that the new ‘imported ’turf (草皮) from New Jersey would introduce different communities of bacteria to the National Mall. However, we found that they weren’t significantly different.”

Crouch’s work focused on turf grass ，defined as a large area of green grass. It is made up of the grass, its roots, and the soil and microbes found with them.

Think of the soil microbiome as similar to the collection of microbes found in the human body. When the microbes are out of balance , it can make someone sick. Crouch says it’s the same for the soil microbiome. Many of the worst diseases in crops or other environments are linked with changes in the soil microbiome.

Additionally, Crouch says that even though the changes between the soils were small, scientists are also starting to appreciate that sometimes a really important microbe is a rare one. This means it would be hard to observe but could greatly affect how the groups function as a whole. “Agricultural areas and other natural spaces are highly and easily hurt by negative changes,” she says. “Microbiomes offer an almost entirely new opportunity to influence interactions among plants and microbes to improve plant productivity and health. ”

1.Why did the researchers feel surprised when they focused on the bacteria in the soil?

A. More bacteria appeared in the soil.

B. Microbes were replaced obviously.

C. Soil microbiome almost remained stable.

D. The soil microbiomes damaged the environment.

2.By studying the turf grass , what did Crouch and her team find?

A. Microbes grew faster in their own community.

B. Soil microbiomes were different in different places.

C. Turf grass adapted to the environment nearby very soon.

D. Similar communities of bacteria were brought by turf grass.

3.Why did the author mention the microbes in the human body?

A. To indicate the two play a similar role.

B. To prove they are both the causes of diseases.

C. To examine the environments people live in.

D. To analyze the changes of human microbes.

4.What does Crouch mean in the last paragraph?

A. Microbes are still as hard to observe as before.

B. Studies on microbiomes can be beneficial to agriculture.

C. Scientists are still puzzled about the effect of microbiomes.

D. Too many microbiomes in the soil mean no harm to plants.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

It’s not what you look at that matters; it’s what you see.

——Henry David Thoreau

Slow Art Day is a global event with a simple mission: help more people discover for themselves the joy of looking at and loving art.

Why slow?

When people look slowly at a piece of art，they make discoveries. The most important discovery they make is that they can see and experience art without an expert. And that’s an exciting discovery. It unlocks passion and creativity and helps to create more art lovers.

How does it work?

One day each year, people all over the world visit local museums and galleries to look at art slowly. Participants look at five works of art for 10 minutes each and then meet together over lunch to talk about their experience. That^ it. Simple by design, the goal is to focus on the art. In fact, Slow Art Day works quite well this way.

By the numbers

Over 1,200 individual Slow Art Day events have taken place since its official launch in 2010. Slow Art Day events have taken place on all seven continents.

700 venues (museums, galleries, artist studios, sculpture parks, public art sites, etc.) have hosted Slow Art Day events.

Participants love Slow Art Day

Feedback on this simple event has been overwhelmingly positive. Here’s a sample:

“I loved taking the time to just ‘be’ with the works, particularly pieces I might otherwise walk by. It’s a much better way of doing the art museum than the usual idle ramble. Discussion afterwards was fun，interesting, informative and eye-opening. I look forward to doing it again.”

Slow Art Day 2017 is Saturday, April 8, in museums and galleries worldwide. Join us and experience art differently.

1.The author quotes Thoreau’s words at the beginning to　　　　　 .

A. arouse readers’ interest in art

B. introduce the topic of the text

C. stress the importance of looking

D. illustrate the joy of art appreciation

2.A typical slow art activity　　　　　 .

A. lasts about fifty minutes when people look at art works critically

B. encourages people to see art for themselves and discuss with experts

C. organizes people to look at art on their own and talk about their experience

D. inspires people to make discoveries about art works and create their own

3.What can we learn about Slow Art Day from the text?

A. The year of 2017 will see the eighth Slow Art Day.

B. It happens once a year in all museums and galleries worldwide.

C. It has become an art festival celebrated on all seven continents.

D. Slow Art Day events have been held in over 1,200 different places.

4.According to the text, the author　　　　　 .

A. has conducted a survey on Slow Art Day

B. strongly recommends Slow Art Day events

C. sees the good and bad sides of Slow Art Day

D. is frequently involved in Slow Art Day events

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

It’s not what you look at that matters;it's what you see.

——Henry David Thoreau

Slow Art Day is a global event with a simple mission: help more people discover for themselves the joy of looking at and loving art.

Why slow?

When people look slowly at a piece of art, they make discoveries. The most important discovery they make is that they can see and experience art without an expert. And that's an exciting discovery. It unlocks passion and creativity and helps to create more art lovers.

How does it work?

One day each year, people all over the world visit local museums and galleries to look at art slowly. Participants look at five works of art for 10 minutes each and then meet together over lunch to talk about their experience. That's it. Simple by design, the goal is to focus on the art. In fact, Slow Art Day works quite well this way.

By the numbers

Over l, 200 individual Slow Art Day events have taken place since its official launch in 2010. Slow Art Day events have taken place on all seven continents.

700 venues (museums, galleries, artist studios, sculpture parks, public art sites. etc.) have hosted Slow Art Day events.

Participants love Slow Art Day

Feedback on this simple event has been overwhelmingly positive. Here's a sample:

“I loved taking the time to just 'be' with the works, particularly pieces I might otherwise walk by. It's a much better way of doing the art museum than the usual idle ramble. Discussion afterwards was fun, interesting, informative and eye-opening. I look forward to doing it again."

Slow Art Day 2017 is Saturday, April 8, in museums and galleries worldwide. Join us and experience art differently.

1.The author quotes Thoreau's words at the beginning to ________.

A. arouse readers' interest in art　　 B. introduce the topic of the text

C. stress the importance of looking　　 D. illustrate the joy of art appreciation

2.A typical slow art activity ________.

A. lasts about fifty minutes when people look at art works critically

B. encourages people to see art for themselves and discuss with experts

C. organizes people to look at art on their own and talk about their experience

D. inspires people to make discoveries about art works and create their own works

3.What can we learn about Slow Art Day from the text?

A. The year of 2017 will see the eighth Slow Art Day.

B. It happens once a year in all museums and galleries worldwide.

C. It has become an art festival celebrated on all seven continents.

D. Slow Art Day events have been held in over l, 200 different places.

4.According to the text, the author ________.

A. has conducted a survey on Slow Art Day

B. strongly recommends Slow Art Day events

C. sees the good and bad sides of Slow Art Day

D. is frequently involved in Slow Art Day events

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析