Why Do Brides Wear WhiteIn many societies the...

Why Do Brides Wear White

In many societies the color white has been associated with purity and virtue, and that is one reason why some brides choose to wear white, especially in the West. Usually, you will hear that brides wear white because “it’s a tradition”. But, historically, white was not the only color considered for wedding dresses. 1.

For many centuries in Western societies, wedding dresses had different colors. 2. Brides tended to buy a wedding dress that could be worn again, or they simply wore the best dress they already owned. And white is not practical: it is difficult to keep clean and is therefore not ideal for many situations or for repeated wear.

Many brides chose to wear dresses of other colors for their wedding and beyond. 3. They do so largely thanks to a trend that started with Queen Victoria’s 1840 wedding to Prince Albert.

4. Although not in as many different media as we have now, they still had a tendency to be trendsetting. So Victoria chose to wear a white gown (女礼服)—reportedly to show off the fine detailed Honiton lace produced by the British lace industry, which was depressed at the time. Her fashion choice was widely reported in newspapers and magazines. 5. Eventually, the trend of a white wedding gown spread across all economic levels and it was strengthened as “tradition” in the 20th century.

A.So why do so many of today’s brides wear white?

B.But why are brides so particular about their dresses?

C.Royal weddings in those years received a lot of reporting.

D.It reflected the growth of the wedding industry at that time.

E.It soon influenced domestic and international wedding trends.

F.In fact, other colors were chosen far more frequently than white.

G.This was for reasons of being practical as much as anything else.

高三英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析

Why do so many Americans distrust what they read in their newspapers? The American Society of Newspaper Editors is trying to answer this painful question. The organization is deep into a long self-analysis known as the journalism credibility project.

Sad to say, this project has turned out to be mostly low-level findings about factual errors and spelling and grammar mistakes, combined with lots of head-scratching puzzlement about what in the world those readers really want.

But the sources of distrust go way deeper. Most journalists learn to see the world through a set of standard patterns into which they plug each day's events. In other words, there is a conventional story line in the newsroom culture that provides a backbone and a ready-made narrative structure for otherwise confusing news.

There exists a social and cultural disconnect between journalists and their readers, which helps explain why the "standard patterns" of the newsroom seem alien to many readers. In a recent survey, questionnaires were sent to reporters in five middle-size cities around the country, plus one large metropolitan area. Then residents in these communities were phoned at random and asked the same questions.

Replies show that compared with other Americans, journalists are more likely to live in upscale neighborhoods, have maids, own Mercedes, and trade stocks, and they're less likely to go to church, do volunteer work, or put down roots in a community.

Reporters tend to be part of a broadly defined social and cultural elite, so their work tends to reflect the conventional values of this elite. The surprising distrust of the news media isn't rooted in inaccuracy or poor reportorial skills but in the daily clash of world views between reporters and their readers.

This is an explosive situation for any industry, particularly a declining one. Here is a troubled business that keeps hiring employees whose attitudes vastly annoy the customers. Then it sponsors lots of symposiums and a credibility project dedicated to wondering why customers are annoyed and fleeing in large numbers. But it never seems to get around to noticing the cultural and class biases that so many former buyers are complaining about. If it did, it would open up its diversity program, now focused narrowly on race and gender, and look for reporters who differ broadly by outlook, values, education, and class.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A. needs of the readers all over the world

B. causes of the public disappointment about newspapers

C. origins of the declining newspaper industry

D. aims of a journalism credibility project

2.The results of the journalism credibility project turned out to be______.

A. quite trustworthy                     B. somewhat contradictory

C. very instructive                      D. rather superficial(肤浅的)

3.The basic problem of journalists as pointed out by the writer lies in their _________.

A. working attitude                     B. conventional lifestyle

C. world outlook                       D. educational background

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Why do so many Americans distrust what they read in their newspapers? The American Society of Newspaper Editors is trying to answer this painful question. The organization is deep into a long self-analysis known as the journalism credibility project.

Sad to say, this project has turned out to be mostly low-level findings about factual errors and spelling and grammar mistakes, combined with lots of head-scratching puzzlement about what in the world those readers really want.

But the sources of distrust go way deeper. Most journalists learn to see the world through a set of standard patterns into which they report each day’s events. In other words, there is a traditional story line in the newsroom culture that provides a backbone and a ready-made narrative structure for otherwise confusing news.

There exists a social and cultural disconnect between journalists and their readers, which helps explain why the “standard patterns” of the newsroom seem foreign to many readers. In a recent survey, questionnaires were sent to reporters in five middle-size cities around the country, plus one large metropolitan area. Then residents in these communities were phoned at random and asked the same questions.

Replies show that compared with other Americans, journalists are more likely to live in upscale neighborhoods, have maids, own Mercedeses, and trade stocks, and they’re less likely to go to church, do volunteer work, or put down roots in a community.

Reporters tend to be part of a broadly defined social and cultural elite (精英), so their work tends to reflect the traditional values of this elite. The alarming distrust of the news media isn’t rooted in inaccuracy or poor reportorial skills but in the daily conflict of world views between reporters and their readers.

This is an explosive situation for any industry, particularly a declining one. Here is a troubled business that keeps hiring employees whose attitudes vastly annoy the customers. Then it sponsors lots of symposiums (讨论会) and a credibility project devoted to wondering why customers are annoyed and fleeing in large numbers. But it never seems to get around to noticing the cultural and class prejudices that so many former buyers are complaining about. If it did, it would open up its diversity program, now focused narrowly on race and gender, and look for reporters who differ broadly by outlook, values, education, and class.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A. Needs of the readers all over the world.

B. Causes of the public disappointment about newspapers.

C. Origins of the declining newspaper industry.

D. Aims of a journalism credibility project.

2.The results of the journalism credibility project turned out to be ______.

A. quite trustworthy B. somewhat conflicting

C. very informative D. rather shallow

3.The basic problem of journalists as pointed out by the writer lies in their ______.

A. working attitude B. traditional lifestyle

C. world outlook D. educational background

4.Despite its efforts, the newspaper industry still cannot satisfy the readers owing to its ______.

A. failure to realize its real problem B. tendency to hire annoying reporters

C. likeliness to do inaccurate reporting D. prejudice in matters of race and gender

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Many of the most striking beasts on the planet come in only two colors: black and white. These high-contrast markings represent some of the nature's most diverse evolutionary choices. For some animals, black -and- white coloring is a way to warn off natural enemies. For others, to keep insects away. For still others, it creates a clever cover. Spend some time exploring what science has discovered about these animals’ appearances, and you will see that basic black and white isn't so basic after all.

Skunk

Depending on the species, black skunks may wear white spots that act as a cover or white stripes(条纹)that signal enemies to watch out for their smelly spray.

Giant Panda

Resent insights into panda coloring have come from studying each body part separately. Black ears indicate fierceness, and distinct eye patches aid in individual recognition. The panda in white body hides it against snow, white its dark limbs(四肢) keep it from being spotted in forests, a compromise developed from its poor bamboo diet:Bamboo doesn’t let pandas build up enough fat to hibernate(冬眠), forcing them to spend winters in the snow.

Badger

Even when a badger is in its cave, its facial stripes can be seen, Zoologists say the warning coloration helps the small animal prevent natural enemies.

Blackbuck(male)

In bright sun, the buck’s white stomach reduces the effect of the shadow cast by his back, allowing him to appear one color and two dimensional---especially hiding from natural enemies in his own shadown.

1.Which animals can use their color to warn off natural enemies?

A. Skunk and Badger B. Giant panda and Zebra

C. Badger and Blackbuck D. Zebra and Blackbuck

2.White body and dark limbs help the giant panda to ________.

A. show fierceness B. store fat

C. recognize individuals D. take cover

3.What can be a suitable title for the text?

A. Which animals have black- and- white color?

B. How some animals protect themselves from harm.

C. Why so many animals wear black- and- white coats?

D. What science has discovered about different colors.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The snowy owl (雪鹗) is a white-colored owl with many unique characteristics. This bird bears a pure white appearance (only the male), with a rounded head, and black bill. While the male is actually a pure white individual, the female and young ones have a darker appearance with dusky spots. The female owl never attains complete whiteness in her lifetime. As young owls get older, they get whiter, losing their heavy stripes (条纹) and dark spots. This bird is between 18 to 20 inches long. Its Wingspan is 49 to 59 inches. It weighs between 3.5 to 6.5 pounds.

The snowy owl lives in the regions of Greenland, Iceland, Canada, and the northern parts of USA. Carolus Linnaeus was the first person to classify this bird. Apart from being the heaviest owl in North America, it is also the official bird of Quebec. It is known by other names such as “the Arctic Owl” or “the Great White Owl”. The reason for this bird’s adaptation to the cold temperatures of the Arctic Circle is its splendidly beautiful, white, and thick feathers. These feathers help it to survive the extreme cold and develop a perfect camouflage (伪装) in the “white” of its Arctic habitat.

The snowy owl is a very patient hunter, and it can sit in one place for hours. Gifted with great hearing and keen eyesight, it is known to be an efficient and clever hunter. It is not difficult for it to track down its prey, which might be barely visible under thick plants or snow cover. Before soaring off in pursuit, the bird waits patiently and identifies its potential prey. Once the prey comes within the proper range, it lays its attack with its sharp-hooked claws. It hunts both during the day and at night.

1.What can we conclude about the snowy owl from the first paragraph?

A. It is a bird with pure white feathers.

B. It is a bird which is big and heavy.

C. It has a white appearance with black spots.

D. The female owl is whiter than the male one.

2.Why can the snowy owl adapt to the cold climate of the Arctic Circle?

A. Thanks to its living areas.　　 B. Because of its special feathers.

C. As a result of its clever mind.　　 D. Owing to its strong wings.

3.What does the underlined expression “track down" mean?

A. chase　　 B. find

C. attract　　 D. recognize

4.What does the passage mainly talk about?

A. The brief introduction of the snowy owl.

B. The snowy owl is the heaviest bird in the world.

C. The snowy owl is first classified by Carolus Linnaeus.

D. The difference between the Arctic owl and the snowy owl.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Why does Prof.White think the second paragraph should be crossed out?

A. Because there are too many spelling mistakes in it.

B. Because the man’s handwriting is poor.

C. Because it has nothing to do with the article.

高三英语短对话简单题查看答案及解析

Many people take it for granted that black is a color of bad things while white should always mean something good．This may be because, in their opinion, black is related to darkness and white to purity．However, that is not always the case．Did you know that the same one color may mean something differently in different places of the world?

In the English-speaking world, black is the color of mourning—people wear black at the funeral．Red is concerned with danger or bloodshed（伤亡）．Yellow is the word for fear．If you are afraid, you are yellow．Yet none of these sayings is true outside the English-speaking world．In China and Korea white is the color of mourning．In Russia, China and some other countries, red stands for beauty, life and excellence．In Italy and Germany, you are yellow with anger, not with fear．

Even within the English-speaking area, it is not difficult to find color contradictions（矛盾）．A redcap in the United States is a porter in a railway station．In Britain, however, a redcap is a military policeman．Both names are logical, because both men wear red caps．Similarly, the British term for an American white-collar worker is sometimes called a black-coated worker．

One does not have to cross an area to find color differences．Would you rather be red-blooded or a blue-blooded? If we go back to the origin, we find that both terms are logical as both names suggest．The expression “blueblood” comes from Spain, where some noble families proudly told the world that they had “blue blood”．Actually they meant that they had no Moorish or Jewish blood．But then why “blue” blood? Because they were fair-skinned, and it is only natural that their blood vessels （血管）stood out appearing blue．

1.Yellow is concerned with anger in ________________．

A．India              B．Britain                 C．China                D．Italy

2.Both Britain and America would probably agree that ________________．

A．a redcap is a porter in a station

B．black is the color of mourning

C．red stands for beauty and excellence

D．a black-coated worker is employed in an office

3.In Britain , a redcap is a

A．porter                                                 B．nobleman

C．clerk                                                  D．military policeman

4.The best title for this reading selection is ________________．

A．The Origin of Blue Blood

B．Colors that Carry Bad Meanings

C．The Meaning Concerned with Certain Colors

D．The Development of the Symbolic Use of Colors

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Many people take it for granted that black is a color of bad things while white should always mean something good. This may be because, in their opinion, black is related to darkness and white to purity. However, that is not always the case. Did you know that the same colour may mean differently in different places of the world?

In the English-speaking world, black is the colour of mourning. People wear black clothes at the funeral. Red is concerned with danger or bloodshed (流血). Yellow is the word for fear. If you are afraid, you are yellow. Yet none of these sayings is true outside the English-speaking world. In China and Korea white is the colour of mourning. In Russia, China and some other countries, red stands for beauty, life and excellence. In Italy and Germany, you are yellow with anger, not with fear.

Even within the English-speaking area it is not difficult to find colour contradictions. A redcap in the United States is a porter in a railway station. In Britain, however, a redcap is a military policeman. Both names are logical because both men wear red caps. Similarly, the British term for an American white collar worker is sometimes called a black-coated worker.

One does not have to cross an area to find colour differences. Would you rather be red-blooded? If we go back to the origin, we find that both terms are logical as both names suggest. The expression "blueblood" comes from Spain, where some noble families proudly said that they had "blue blood". But then why "blue" blood? Because they were fairskinned, and it is only natural that their blood vessels (血管) stood out appearing blue.

1.Yellow is concerned with anger in ________.

A. Russia            B. China                   C. Britain              D. Germany

2. The two meanings of the term "redcap" form a difference in ________.

A. pronunciation        B. logical relationship     C.  custom              D. climate

3. Both Britain and America would probably agree that ________.

A. a black-coated worker is employed in an office       B. black is the color of mourning

C. red stands for beauty and excellence                 D. a redcap is a porter in a station

4.The best title for this passage is

A. The Development of the Symbolic use of Colors        B. The Meaning Concerned With Certain Colors

C. Colors that Carry Bad Meanings                   D. The Origin of Blue Blood.

5.When some Spanish called themselves “blueblood”, they actually meant.

A. they came from a noble family                        B. their faces looked blue

C. they had blue blood in their vessels                     D. they were fairskinned

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Many people take it for granted that black is a color of bad things while white should always mean something good. This may be because, in their opinion, black is related to darkness and white to purity. However, that is not always the case. Did you know that the same one color may mean differently in different places of the world?

In the English-speaking world, black is the color of mourning. People wear black clothes at the funeral. Red is concerned with danger or bloodshed (流血). Yellow is the word for fear. If you are afraid, you are yellow. Yet none of these sayings is true outside the English-speaking world. In China and Korea white is the color of mourning. In Russia, China and some other countries, red stands for beauty, life and excellence. In Italy and Germany, you are yellow with anger, not with fear.

Even within the English-speaking area it is not difficult to find color contradictions (矛盾). A redcap in the United States is a porter in a railway station. In Britain, however, a redcap is a military policeman. Both names are logical because both men wear red caps. Similarly, the British term for an American white collar worker is sometimes called a black-coated worker.

One does not have to cross an area to find color differences. Would you rather be red-blooded? If we go back to the origin, we find that both terms are logical as both names suggest. The expression "blueblood" comes from Spain, where some noble families proudly said that they had "blue blood". But then why "blue" blood? Because they were fairskinned, and it is only natural that their blood vessels (血管) stood out appearing blue.

1.Yellow is concerned with anger in _______.　　　　　　　　　

A. Russia　　　 　　　　 B. Britain　　 　 C. Germany　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　 　　　　 D. China

2.The two meanings of the term "redcap" form a difference in _______.　　　　

A. pronunciation　　　　　　　　　 B. climate　　 C. logical relationship　　　　　　　　　 　 　　 D. custom

3.Both Britain and America would probably agree that _______.　　　　　　

A. black is the color of mourning

B. a black-coated worker is employed in an office

C. red stands for beauty and excellence

D. a redcap is a porter in a station

4.The best title for this passage is _______.　　　　　　

A. The Origin of Blue Blood

B. The Development of the Symbolic Use of Colors

C. Colors that Carry Bad Meanings

D. The Meaning Concerned With Certain Colors

5.When some Spanish called themselves "blueblood", they actually meant _______.　　

A. they had heart trouble and their faces looked blue

B. they came from a noble family

C. they had blue blood in their vessels

D. they were fairskinned

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Many people take it for granted that black is a color of bad things while white should always mean something good. This may be because, in their opinion, black is related to darkness and white to purity. However, that is not always the case. Did you know that the same one color may mean something differently in different places of the world?

In the English-speaking world, black is the color of mourning—people wear black at the funeral. Red is concerned with danger or bloodshed（伤亡）. Yellow is the word for fear. If you are afraid, you are yellow. Yet none of these sayings is true outside the English-speaking world. In China and Korea white is the color of mourning. In Russia, China and some other countries, red stands for beauty, life and excellence. In Italy and Germany, you are yellow with anger, not with fear.

Even within the English-speaking area, it is not difficult to find color contradictions（矛盾）.A redcap in the United States is a porter in a railway station. In Britain, however, a redcap is a military policeman. Both names are logical, because both men wear red caps. Similarly, the British term for an American white-collar worker is sometimes called a black-coated worker.

One does not have to cross an area to find color differences. Would you rather be red-blooded or a blue-blooded? If we go back to the origin, we find that both terms are logical as both names suggest. The expression “blueblood” comes from Spain, where some noble families proudly told the world that they had “blue blood”. Actually they meant that they had no Moorish or Jewish blood. But then why “blue” blood? Because they were fair-skinned, and it is only natural that their blood vessels (血管)stood out appearing blue.

1. Yellow is concerned with anger in ________________.

2.Both Britain and America would probably agree that ________________.

3. In Britain , a redcap is a ________

4.The best title for this reading selection is ________________.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析