Imagine a world 400 years ago where children were used as chimney sweeps.The pay was low, it was a dirty trade and there was little reward for the men who did the job and even less for children.
Medway’s annual Sweeps Festival recreates the joy and laughter enjoyed by the chimney sweeps at their traditional holiday: the one time of the year the sweeps could leave the soot(烟灰) behind and have some fun.The sweeps’ holiday was traditionally held on 1 May each year.Locally, they used to mark the occasion by staging a procession through the streets of Rochester.
Their fun continued with the Jack-in-the-Green ceremony, a seven-foot character that they used to waken at dawn on Blue Bell Hill, Chatham.The Jack-in-the-Green would walk with the chimney sweeps in their parade.When the Climbing Boys’ Act 1868 made it illegal to employ young boys to carry out the trade, the traditional procession gradually began to fade.The final May celebration was held in the early 1900s.
The modern day Rochester Sweeps Festival is a colorful mix of music, dancing and entertainment with more than 60 Morris sides and entertainers celebrating throughout the three-day festival.The festival was revived in 1981 by local businessman Gordon Newton, a keen historian.He decided it was time to bring it back and over the years he has helped develop the festival into what it is today — an excellent performance of traditional Britain.
Gordon researched the Sweeps’ tradition and organized a small parade, involving local Morris teams.In time, Medway Council took over organization of the festival but Gordon remained actively involved.Today he is festival producer and plays melodeon(簧风琴) for several Morris teams.Doug Hudson is the festival’s music director, a role he has held for many years.Through Gordon’s vision and hard work, Doug’s musical ability and the council’s help, the Rochester Sweeps Festival has become the largest May Day celebration of its kind in the country.
1.According to the writer, chimney sweeps ____________.
A.were highly respected B.were well rewarded
C.led a hard life in the past D.worked in good conditions
2.Medway’s Sweeps Festival ____________.
A.has been organized by the Jack-in-the-Green
B.dated back to the May celebration in the early 1900s
C.is held to honor those chimney sweeps every other year
D.has become a time for chimney sweeps to enjoy themselves
3.The underlined word “revive” in the 4th paragraph most probably means ___________.
A.realize B.review
C.recreate D.recognize
4.It can be inferred from the passage that ____________.
A.the festival has never been supported by the local government
B.The festival is a good way to see British folk customs in action
C.youngsters has been forbidden to be chimney sweeps since 1981
D.the modern festival lasts five days celebrating the coming of spring
5.What is the passage mainly concerned about?
A.Sweeps Festival history B.Medway’s traditional holidays
C.Climbing Boys’ Act 1868 D.a procession in Rochester
高三英语阅读理解困难题
Imagine a world 400 years ago where children were used as chimney sweeps.The pay was low, it was a dirty trade and there was little reward for the men who did the job and even less for children.
Medway’s annual Sweeps Festival recreates the joy and laughter enjoyed by the chimney sweeps at their traditional holiday: the one time of the year the sweeps could leave the soot(烟灰) behind and have some fun.The sweeps’ holiday was traditionally held on 1 May each year.Locally, they used to mark the occasion by staging a procession through the streets of Rochester.
Their fun continued with the Jack-in-the-Green ceremony, a seven-foot character that they used to waken at dawn on Blue Bell Hill, Chatham.The Jack-in-the-Green would walk with the chimney sweeps in their parade.When the Climbing Boys’ Act 1868 made it illegal to employ young boys to carry out the trade, the traditional procession gradually began to fade.The final May celebration was held in the early 1900s.
The modern day Rochester Sweeps Festival is a colorful mix of music, dancing and entertainment with more than 60 Morris sides and entertainers celebrating throughout the three-day festival.The festival was revived in 1981 by local businessman Gordon Newton, a keen historian.He decided it was time to bring it back and over the years he has helped develop the festival into what it is today — an excellent performance of traditional Britain.
Gordon researched the Sweeps’ tradition and organized a small parade, involving local Morris teams.In time, Medway Council took over organization of the festival but Gordon remained actively involved.Today he is festival producer and plays melodeon(簧风琴) for several Morris teams.Doug Hudson is the festival’s music director, a role he has held for many years.Through Gordon’s vision and hard work, Doug’s musical ability and the council’s help, the Rochester Sweeps Festival has become the largest May Day celebration of its kind in the country.
1.According to the writer, chimney sweeps ____________.
A.were highly respected B.were well rewarded
C.led a hard life in the past D.worked in good conditions
2.Medway’s Sweeps Festival ____________.
A.has been organized by the Jack-in-the-Green
B.dated back to the May celebration in the early 1900s
C.is held to honor those chimney sweeps every other year
D.has become a time for chimney sweeps to enjoy themselves
3.The underlined word “revive” in the 4th paragraph most probably means ___________.
A.realize B.review
C.recreate D.recognize
4.It can be inferred from the passage that ____________.
A.the festival has never been supported by the local government
B.The festival is a good way to see British folk customs in action
C.youngsters has been forbidden to be chimney sweeps since 1981
D.the modern festival lasts five days celebrating the coming of spring
5.What is the passage mainly concerned about?
A.Sweeps Festival history B.Medway’s traditional holidays
C.Climbing Boys’ Act 1868 D.a procession in Rochester
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
C
Imagine a world 400 years ago where children were used as chimney sweeps. The pay was low, it was a dirty trade and there was little reward for the men who did the job and even less for children.
Medway’s annual Sweeps Festival recreates the joy and laughter enjoyed by the chimney sweeps at their traditional holiday: the one time of the year the sweeps could leave the soot(烟灰) behind and have some fun. The sweeps’ holiday was traditionally held on 1 May each year. Locally, they used to mark the occasion by staging a procession through the streets of Rochester.
Their fun continued with the Jack-in-the-Green ceremony, a seven-foot character that they used to waken at dawn on Blue Bell Hill, Chatham. The Jack-in-the-Green would walk with the chimney sweeps in their parade. When the Climbing Boys’ Act 1868 made it illegal to employ young boys to carry out the trade, the traditional procession gradually began to fade. The final May celebration was held in the early 1900s.
The modern day Rochester Sweeps Festival is a colorful mix of music, dancing and entertainment with more than 60 Morris sides and entertainers celebrating throughout the three-day festival. The festival was revived in 1981 by local businessman Gordon Newton, a keen historian. He decided it was time to bring it back and over the years he has helped develop the festival into what it is today — an excellent performance of traditional Britain.
Gordon researched the Sweeps’ tradition and organized a small parade, involving local Morris teams. In time, Medway Council took over organization of the festival but Gordon remained actively involved. Today he is festival producer and plays melodeon(簧风琴) for several Morris teams. Doug Hudson is the festival’s music director, a role he has held for many years. Through Gordon’s vision and hard work, Doug’s musical ability and the council’s help, the Rochester Sweeps Festival has become the largest May Day celebration of its kind in the country.
66. According to the writer, chimney sweeps ____________.
A. were highly respected B. were well rewarded
C. led a hard life in the past D. worked in good conditions
67. Medway’s Sweeps Festival ____________.
A. has been organized by the Jack-in-the-Green
B. dated back to the May celebration in the early 1900s
C. is held to honor those chimney sweeps every other year
D. has become a time for chimney sweeps to enjoy themselves
68. The underlined word “revive” in the 4th paragraph most probably means ___________.
A. realize B. review C. recreate D. recognize
69. It can be inferred from the passage that ____________.
A. the festival has never been supported by the local government
B. The festival is a good way to see British folk customs in action
C. youngsters has been forbidden to be chimney sweeps since 1981
D. the modern festival lasts five days celebrating the coming of spring
70. What is the passage mainly concerned about?
A. Sweeps Festival history B. Medway’s traditional holidays
C. Climbing Boys’ Act 1868 D. a procession in Rochester
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Several years ago, a public school teacher was hired to visit children who were patients in a city hospital. Her job was to tutor them with their schoolwork.
One day, this teacher received a routine call requesting that she visit a particular child. She was told by the teacher on the other end of the line. “We’re studying nouns and adverbs in Class now. I’d be grateful if you could help him with his homework.”
It wasn’t until the visiting teacher got outside the boy’s room that she realized it was located in the hospital’s burn unit. No one had prepared her for that. When she walked into the room, she found the young boy, horribly burned, was obviously in great pain. The teacher felt awkward and didn’t know what to say, but she had gone too far to walk out. Finally, she was able to stammer out, “I…I’m… the special visiting hospital teacher, and your teacher sent me to help you with your nouns and adverbs.” Afterward, she thought it was not one of her more successful tutoring sessions.
The next morning when she returned, a nurse stopped her, “What did you do to that boy?” Before she could finish her apologies, the nurse interrupted her by saying, “You don’t understand. We’ve been worried about him, but ever since you were here yesterday his whole attitude has changed. He’s responding to treatment…”
In fact, the boy had completely given up hope and felt he was going to die until he saw that special teacher. Everything had changed with an insight gained by a simple realization. With happy tears in his eyes, the little boy said, “They wouldn’t send a special teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a dying boy, now, would they?”
1.Why did the teacher feel awkward after entering the room?
A.She walked into the wrong room.
B.She was too eager to be successful.
C.She had no idea how the boy was suffering.
D.She was not well prepared for her lesson.
2.What does the underlined word “stammer” in paragraph 3 mean?
A.To speak with a fear.
B.To speak with a pause.
C.To speak with a concern.
D.To speak with a gesture.
3.What can we infer from the teacher’s action of apologizing?
A.She got scared by the hospital nurse.
B.She was a person of modest personality.
C.She thought she made the boy uncomfortable.
D.She realized she got the usage of a noun wrong.
4.What helped the boy regain hope?
A.He felt the learning pressure from the special teacher.
B.He believed that the teacher was expert at teaching grammar.
C.He was aware that everyone was trying their best to care for him.
D.He realized that he was not in so bad a situation as he had assumed.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The cracked step four years ago was the start of it. That day, I awoke tired—the children were tiny and needing so much—and I had a golden afternoon of rest ahead, my mother stepping in to allow me to catch up on my sleep. I dropped them off and drove home—the sun shining and my bed signaling. As I was about to enter the house, I caught sight of a deep crack beneath my feet.
Without thinking, I turned around, walked back to the car and drove to a DIY store. Four hours later, I had all the tools, mixed my own cement, filled in the crack and repaired the foundation. Perfect. As I stood up to take a photo of my handiwork, I realized that I was trembling. I’d forgotten my shot at a nice long nap, and my children were already on their way home. That sleep... that promise to self was broken, because I had focused, instead, on the crack in the step.
Suddenly, everything started to hurt. My head, my throat, my back. I couldn’t stop shaking. What earned then is that when we break the promises we make to our bodies they will not be silenced. This is when we overwork and overthink to the point of breaking down. Ironically (讽刺地), for many of us, it is only when we have no choice— when we fall ill—that we learn to listen. For me, when that crack ended in a hospital stay which sent me to bed for two unmoving weeks when my body worked to clear two different infections, the lesson is ever present. I did it to myself—a whole twisted spin on DIY.
Sadly it took another two ridiculous DIY projects to finally get through. The cracks will never be fully filled. Focus, then, on your own inner core, the feeding of light, fire and strength.
1.What made the author so sleepy in the first place?
A.Taking care of the kids. B.Asking her mother for help.
C.Driving to her mother’s house D.Dealing with DIY projects.
2.How did the author feel as soon as she finished her repair work?
A.Regretful B.Upset
C.Proud D.Thankful
3.What can be implied from Paragraph 3?
A.Our health is ignored deliberately.
B.Our body will respond to what we do.
C.The author took her mother’s advice.
D.The author was infected before the DIY.
4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A.To describe an unfortunate event.
B.To show the danger of DIY.
C.To stress the importance of sleep.
D.To encourage focusing on oneself.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The cracked (有裂缝的)step four years ago was the start of it. That day, I awoke tired-the children were tiny and needing so much — and I had a golden afternoon of rest ahead, my mother stepping in to allow me to catch up on my sleep. I dropped them off and drove home -the sun shining and my bed signaling. As I was about to enter the house, I caught sight of a deep crack beneath my feet.
Without thinking, I turned around walked back to the car and drove to a DIY store. Four hours later, I had all the tools, had mixed my own cement (水泥), filled in the crack and repaired the foundation. Perfect. As I stood up to take a photo of my handiwork, I realized that I was trembling. I'd forgotten my shot at a nice long nap, and my children were already on their way home. That sleep... that promise to self was broken, because I had focused, instead, on the crack in the step.
Suddenly, everything started to hurt. My head, my throat, my back. I couldn't stop shaking. What earned then is that when we break the promises we make to our bodies they will not be silenced. This is when we overwork and overthink to the point of breaking down. Ironically, for many of us, it is only when we have no choice — when we fall ill — that we learn to listen. For me, when that crack ended in a hospital stay which sent me to bed for two unmoving weeks while my body worked to clear two different infections, the lesson is ever present. I did it to myself — a whole twisted spin on DIY.
Sadly it took another two ridiculous DIY projects or the message to finally get through. The cracks will never be fully filled. Focus, then, on your own inner core the feeding of that light, that fire and that strength.
1.What made the author so sleepy in the first place?
A.Taking care of the kids. B.Visiting her mother.
C.Doing the housework. D.Dealing with DIY projects.
2.How did the author feel as soon as she finished her repair work?
A.Regretful. B.Upset.
C.Proud. D.Thankful.
3.What is the author's purpose in writing the text?
A.To present a way to fill a crack.
B.To show the danger of DIY.
C.To stress the importance of sleep.
D.To encourage focusing on oneself.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.The Cracked Step B.You Do It to Yourself
C.Focus on DIY D.A Life-changing Experience
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Modern zoos are different from those built fifty years ago. At that time zoos were places where people could go to see animals from many parts of the world. The animals lived in cages with iron bars (栅栏). Although the zoo keepers took good care of them, many of the animals did not feel comfortable,and they often fell ill.
In modern zoos, people can see animals in more natural conditions. The animals are given more freedom in larger places so that they can live as they would in nature. Even the appearance of zoos has changed. Trees and grass grow in cages, and water flows through the places the animals live in. There are few bars; instead, there is often a deep ditch (沟), filled with water, which surrounds a space where several sorts of animals live together as they would naturally. In an American zoo, the visitors can walk through a special huge cage that is filled with trees, some small animals and many birds, and large enough for the birds to live naturally. In a zoo in New York, with the use of special nights, people can observe certain animals that are active only at night, when most zoos are closed. Some zoos have special places for visitors to watch animals that live in the desert or under water.
Modern zoos not only show animals to visitors, but also keep and save rare animals. For this reason, fifty years from now, the grandchildren of today's visitors will still be able to enjoy watching these animals.
1.In modern zoos ________.
A. different kinds of animals are kept separately
B. animals are no longer taken good care of
C. animals have more freedom
D. visitors can walk wherever they like
2.In a modern zoo_______ feel comfortable.
A. the animals, not the visitors B. the visitors, not the animals
C. neither visitors nor animals D. both visitors and animals
3.In some zoos people can _______.
A. walk through special huge cages to watch all sorts of animals
B. see animals which live in special conditions
C. during the day observe animals that are active at night
D. watch all rare animals that may not be seen in the future
4.The main idea of the passage is that _______.
A. zoos are now places where animals can live naturally
B. zoos are places where people can see animals from all over the world
C. there should be old and modern zoos alike
D. rare animals may soon die out
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Modem zoos are different from those built fifty years ago.At that time zoos were places where people could go to see animals from many parts of the world.The animals lived in cages with iron bars(栅栏).Although the zoo keepers took good care of them,many of the animals did not feel comfortable,and they often fell ill.
In modern zoos,people can see animals in more natural conditions.The animals are given more freedom in larger places so that they can live as they would in nature.Even the appearance of zoos has changed.Trees and grass grow in cages,and water flows through the places the animals live in.There are few bars;instead,there is often a deep ditch(沟),filled with water,which surrounds a space where several sorts of animals live together as they would naturally.In an American zoo,the visitors can walk through a special huge cage that is filled with trees,some small animals and many birds,and large enough for the birds to live naturally.In a zoo in New York,with the use of special nights,people can observe certain animals that are active only at night,when most zoos are dosed.Some zoos have special places for visitors to watch animals that live in the desert or under water.
Modern zoos not only show animals to visitors,but also keep and save rare animals.For this reason,fifty years from now,the grandchildren of today's visitors will still be able to enjoy watching these animals.
1.In modern zoos______.
A. different kinds of animals are kept separately
B. animals are no longer taken good care of
C. animals have more freedom
D. visitors can walk wherever they like
2.In a modem zoo______feel comfortable.
A. the animals,not the visitors B. the visitors,not the animals
C. neither visitors nor animals D. both visitors and animals
3.In some zoos people can______.
A. walk through special huge cages to watch all sorts of animals
B. see animals which live in special conditions
C. during the day observe animals that are active at night
D. watch all rare animals that may not be seen in the future
4.The main idea of the passage is that______.
A. zoos are now places where animals can live naturally
B. zoos are places where people can see animals from all over the world
C. there should be old and modern zoos alike
D. rare animals may soon die out
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
It’s said to be a case of murder_______ the children were used by adults.
A. when B. where C. which D. that
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
It’s said to be a case of murder_______ the children were used by adults.
A. when B. where C. which D. that
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Eleven years ago, the world as I knew it ended. My husband of 19 years was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Over the course of seven months,Bill went from beating me silly at tennis to needing my help to go to the bathroom. It was the best seven months of my life.
Maybe I don’t actually mean that. But it was certainly the time when I felt most alive. I discovered that the minor complaint of an annoying coworker, or a flat tire pales in comparison with the beauty of sincere laughter, or the smells of a bakery. There were moments of joy, laughter, and tenderness. After Bill’s diagnosis and brain surgery, I found clinical trials and talked to doctors in Texas, Pennsylvania, and New York. It gave me a sense of purpose.
In the latter days, being Bill’s caregiver also meant being fully present for as many moments of every day as possible. During his last weekend, we had dinner together. Later, a relative visited. I noticed that she’d changed her appearance, and not in a good way. It was the kind of thought I’d usually keep to myself. Just then, Bill voiced exactly what I’d been thinking, in that truthful way he had, and I found myself laughing out loud.
I thought I could look after this man forever. However, he would be dead in four days.
Eleven years later, I haven’t started a foundation to cure cancer. I haven’t left the news business to get a medical degree. But every day, I try to again be the person I became during those seven months. I try to be a little less judgmental, a little more forgiving and generous. I am a better person for having been Bill’s caregiver. It was his last, best gift to me.
1.What is true about her husband?
A. He was a bad tennis player.
B. He felt weak because of his brain surgery.
C. He had to talk to doctors in different cities.
D. He had to be accompanied mostly during his illness.
2.What does the underlined word “pales” in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. Turns whiter than usual. B. Seems less important.
C. Becomes more significant. D. Proves unreasonable.
3.The story of their relative in Paragraph 4 is used to show .
A. being a caregiver requires much time and effort
B. one needs to speak out his own thoughts truthfully
C. change in appearance is a necessary part of one’s life
D. life needs a sense of humor even faced with hardships
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A. The Best Time of My Life B. The Greatest Gift to Me
C. My Loving Husband D. A Caregiver’s Hard Work
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析