On March 17, people around the world celebrat...

On March 17, people around the world celebrate the Irish holiday of Saint Patrick’s Day. It is a major holiday in Ireland, but the rest of the world has influenced its celebration as much as the Irish themselves.

Most Americans think of Saint Patrick’s Day as a big party centered around drinking alcohol. But its beginnings in Ireland were religious, says Mike Cronin, a professor of Irish history with Boston College of Massachusetts.

Ireland is a mostly Roman Catholic country. Saint Patrick lived in Ireland more than 2,000 years ago. He is widely considered to have established Christianity in the country. The Church honored him with a holy day in the 17th century. March 17 marks the date of his death. The average Irish person honored March 17 quietly. Attending church services was the main activity. In fact, most businesses that served alcohol would close in honor of the day.

In the early 1900s, Ireland’s government made St. Patrick’s Day an official holiday. By the 1960s, towns across Ireland started celebrating the holiday with parades and music. In Ireland today, St. Patrick’s Day is a four-day public celebration that includes parades, music, food, and games.

For Irish people living outside Ireland, Saint Patrick’s Day became a chance to celebrate their Irish identity and culture. Now, countries and cities around the world celebrate March 17 in creative ways. Many countries hold Saint Patrick’s Day parades. Famous monuments, including the Great Wall of China, the Niagara Falls, and the Gateway of India in Mumbai will all be colored by green light for the day.

Cronin says that the worldwide popularity of Saint Patrick’s Day has helped the Irish government, which uses the holiday as a form of diplomacy. And for a small island of 4.5 to 5 million people it’s quite remarkable that they have that kind of soft power.

1.How did average Irish people celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day in the 17th century?

A. Drinking alcohol.　　 B. Parading in the streets.

C. Attending church services peacefully.　　 D. Coloring well-known monuments green.

2.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Saint Patrick’s Day is the most significant day in the US.

B. Saint Patrick’s Day plays a role in foreign affairs in Ireland today.

C. Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated worldwide today as in the 17th century.

D. On Saint Patrick’s Day, parades and parties are held throughout America.

3.What is the passage mainly about?

A. The origin of Saint Patrick’s Day.

B. The celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day.

C. The influence of Saint Patrick’s Day on the world.

D. The role of Saint Patrick’s Day in Irish diplomacy.

4.What is Cronin’s attitude towards the popularity of Saint Patrick’s Day?

A. Unclear.　　 B. Neutral.　　 C. Negative.　　 D. Positive.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

On March 17 the color green will spread all around the world in celebration of St Patrick's Day. The Irish (爱尔兰人)traditionally wear something green on this day, as the color is associated with Ireland. 1.

Usually these jokes will be about Irish stupidity, their famous thirst for alcohol, or their fame for telling tall (untrue) tales. These characteristics are all based on the most common Irish stereotypes (成见):that the Irish are hot-tempered drinkers who love to fight and will do anything to avoid a day's work.

2. These stereotypes may have rung true back in the 19th century when they started, but they're far from true today, with the exception, perhaps, of the drinking.

Today, the Irish are admired for their storytelling ability, musical talent and strong education. 3. Or that many of the most famous music acts of all time, such as singer Enya and rock band U2, were Irish bom and bred. And in December, Ireland's education system was ranked 11th in the world in a new global top 50 ranking, website independent.ie reported.

4. They can date back to the 19th century, which was a very bad time to be Irish. At that time, Ireland was poverty-stricken and starving. Many Irish moved to the US to escape famine, but there they had to compete ——occasionally with their fists ——for jobs and housing with other immigrant groups. It was on the US，streets that the Irish earned their reputation for street fighting.

5.　 Drinking in Ireland is a predilection (偏好)，but it's not necessarily something to criticize. It was the Irish after all who created one of the world's best-loved beers Guinness.

A. The real joke, however, is that these negative Irish stereotypes still exist.

B. Today, few Irish are interested in this tradition.

C. Ifs no accident that several of the greatest writers of the 20th century were Irish

D. Another St Patrick's　 Day tradition is for the non-Irish to make jokes about the Irish.

E. Why do Irish people love to drink so much?

F. So where did the negative Irish stereotypes come from?.

G. However, one bit of the Irish stereotype is still true, their love of drink.

高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析

B

ON March 17 there will be an explosion of green across the World in celebration of St Patrick’s Day．The Irish traditionally wear green on this day, as the color is associated with Ireland．

But there are others, non-Irish，who use the occasion to make jokes about the Irish．They use the stereotype(成见)of the Irish as hot-tempered(脾气暴躁的)drinkers，who love to fight and will do anything to avoid a day's work．

However, today the Irish are more often admired for their musical talent and many other abilities．It’s no accident that many of today's most popular music groups，such as singer Enya and rock band U2，are Irish born and bred．Lonely Planet readers even ranked Ireland in 2007 as the friendliest country in the world．

So where did the negative Irish stereotype come from? From the 19th century when it was a bad time to be Irish．

Ireland then was poverty-stricken and starving．Many Irish moved to the United States to escape famine, but there they had to compete---occasionally with their fists for jobs and housing with other immigrant groups，such as the Italians．It was on the US’ streets that the Irish earned their reputation for street fighting．

The stereotype of the Irish as big drinkers may be unfair, but Ireland can boast(为……自豪) its fair share of famous drinks．It was the Irish after all who created one of the world’s best-loved beers，Guinness．

65．What is the story mainly about?

A．How the Irish earned their reputation．

B．The festival-St Patrick’s Day．

C．Jokes about the Irish people．

D．Famous Irish stereotype and the truth．

66．Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A．St Palrick’s Day is celebrated nowhere else but Ireland．

B．Modern Irish show no interest in drinking alcohol．

C．Part of the stereotype about the Irish is that they are lazy．

D．Irish people usually get hot-tempered when laughed at．

67．Where did the negative Irish stereotype come from?

A．From their everyday behavior toward other people．

B．From the behavior of Irish immigrants to America in the 19th century．

C．From the historical record of 19th century Ireland．

D．From most people’s impression of Irish people

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

The Spring Festival is the biggest festival for Chinese people all around the world. The celebration usually lasts for 15 days. There is a lot to do.

On the eve of the Spring Festival, family members get together and have big meals. Their favorite dish on this day is dumplings. Days before the Spring Festival, families will clean their homes. People think cleaning sweeps away bad luck. It makes the house ready for good luck.

The color red is everywhere during the Spring Festival. People think red is a happy color and will bring them a bright future. People wear red, too. They decorate their homes with pieces of red paper. Kids get a lot of “hong bao”. It is a red paper bag with money in it. Usually, older people give younger ones hong bao. They think it brings good luck.

The Spring Festival is the time to make everybody happy. So don’t say any bad words or do anything that will bring unhappiness to other people. For instance, you'd better not say any bad words like “death”. Don’t break anything. People think that it means your luck is running out.

Also, don’t borrow or lend money on these days. If you have borrowed money, return it before the Spring Festival.

1.What do most people do on the eve of the Spring Festival?

A.Family members gather for a big meal. B.Friends eat dumplings together.

C.They borrow money from friends. D.They give each other “hong bao”.

2.Which of the following things is Not supposed to happen during the Spring Festival?

A.Returning money before the Spring Festival.

B.Saying words that have to do with death.

C.Wearing red clothes.

D.Decorating houses with red paper.

3.The underlined phrase “running out” probably means “______”.

A.进来 B.打碎 C.耗尽 D.离开

4.We can tell from the story that the Spring Festival is ____.

A.a time of harvest and fun B.celebrated for one whole month

C.only celebrated in China D.a time for families to get together

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

People around the world have their own ways of celebrating weddings. Now let’s compare Eastern and Western weddings.

Chinese and Indian brides normally wear red dresses and most of the wedding decorations are of the same color. This is because the color red is said to bring good fortune. In many Eastern weddings, especially Chinese weddings, the bride will change into a different dress after the ceremony. White dresses only arrived in modern times because of the influence of Western wedding dress designs.

Western wedding dresses are different. Brides usually wear a wedding dress that is white in color and wear it throughout the whole wedding. Wearing white wedding dresses is said to have started in the 1840s, beginning with Queen Victoria, Queen of Great Britain. There are occasions when brides dress into more comfortable clothing so that they will be able to move more freely during the wedding reception.

Traditional practices are strictly followed for most Western weddings. The couple follow up with any plans they have agreed and decided on to make their special wedding day unique and memorable. Wedding receptions and other celebrations differ among the East and the West, but the concept is still the same. They are held to show gratitude towards family members, friends and guests for being a part of the wedding ceremony.

Another common custom that weddings of the East and the West have is the wearing of the wedding veil(面纱). According to superstitious(迷信的) beliefs, the bride wears a veil to protect her from being seen by evil spirits and the bridesmaids are decoys(诱饵). This is still followed even today.

1.Queen Victoria is said to be the first woman in Britain to ________.

A. have a bridesmaid

B. wear a veil as a bride

C. wear a white wedding dress

D. wear a casual dress for the reception

2.According to superstitious beliefs, having bridesmaids is to ________.

A. protect guests                        B. comfort brides

C. trick evil spirits                    D. bring good fortune

3.The passage is mainly developed ________.

A. by time            B. by space            C. by process            D. by comparison

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Now many young people are traveling around the world on their own, not because they have no one to travel with, but because they prefer to go alone.

Kristina Wegscheider from California first traveled alone when she was at college and believes that it is something everyone should do at least once in their life. “It opens up your mind to new things and pushes you out of your comfort zone.” Wegscheider has visited 46 countries covering all seven continents.

In foreign countries, with no one to help you read a map, look after you if you get ill, or lend you money if your wallet is stolen, it is challenging. This is what drives young people to travel alone. It is seen as character building and a chance to prove that they can make it on their own.

Chris Richardson decided to leave his sales job in Australia to go traveling last year. He set up a website, The Aussie Nomad, to document his adventures. He says he wished he had traveled alone earlier. “The people you meet, the places you visit, or the things you do, everything is up to you and it forces you to grow as a person,” said the 30-year-old man.

Richardson describes traveling alone like “a shot in the arm”, which “makes you a more confident person that is ready to deal with anything”. He said, “The feeling of having overcome something on my own is a major part of what drives me each day when I’m dealing with a difficult task. I walk around with my head up because I know deep down inside that nothing is impossible if you try.”

The great 19thcentury explorer John Muir once said, “Only by going alone in silence can one truly get into the heart of the wilderness.”

1.Which of the following will Kristina Wegscheider agree with?

A. Traveling alone is a necessary experience for everyone.

B. It is more meaningful to travel in foreign countries.

C. It is comfortable to travel around without a friend.

D. Traveling abroad helps people to find new things.

2.Traveling alone is challenging because ________.

A. you have to make things on your own

B. it is hard for you to prove yourself to others

C. you can only depend on yourself whatever happens

D. it will finally build your character

3.What can we infer about Chris Richardson?

A. He started traveling alone at an early age.

B. He was once shot in the arm.

C. He used to work as a salesman.

D. His website inspires others a lot.

4.What is the best title for the passage?

A. Travel Abroad　　 B. Travel Alone

C. Travel Light　　 D. Travel Wide and Far

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Since the film “Life of Pi” was on, it _________ more and more people around the world.

A．attracted                              B．had attracted

C．has attracted                           D．will have attracted

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

March 21 has been declared World Sleep Day，a time to recognize and celebrate the value of sleep．Many sleep experts hope it will be a wake-up call．

According to a 2016 poll（民意调查）by the National Sleep Foundation，nearly 4 in 5 Americans don't get as much sleep as they should during the workweek．On average，adults are thought to need at least eight hours of sleep a night，although some can manage with less and some won't do well without more．But the survey found that，on workdays，only 21% of Americans actually get a full eight hours of sleep，and another 21% get less than six．

To many of us，the thought of spending more time sleeping is，well，a big yawn．On the other hand，the thought of being smarter，thinner，healthier and more cheerful has a certain appeal．And those are just a few of the advantages that can be ours if we consistently get enough sleep， researchers say．Also on the plus side： We're likely to have better skin，better memories，better judgment，and，oh，yes，longer lives．

"When you lose even one hour of sleep for any reason，it influences your performance the next day，" says Dr．Alon Avidan，director of the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center．

A study published last year found the same to be true even of children． When kids aged 8 to 12 slept for just one hour less for four nights，they didn't function as well during the day．

But sleeping has an image problem．"We see napping or sleeping as lazy，" says Jennifer Vriend，a clinical psychologist in Ottawa，Canada，and the leading author of the study with children．"We put so much emphasis on diet，nutrition and exercise．Sleep is in the back seat．" In fact，she adds，no matter how much we work out，no matter how well we eat，we can't be in top physical shape unless we also get plenty of sleep．

1.The underlined part in Paragraph 1 means ______ ．

A. To wake up the sleepers　　 B. To draw people's attention

C. To serve as a morning call　　 D. To declare the special day

2.From Paragraph 3 we can infer that ______ .

A. The thought of being healthier is not very attractive

B. Sleeping has nothing to do with one's expectations

C. Enough sleep is the guarantee of the appealing things

D. Spending more time on sleeping is a waste of time

3.What Jennifer Vriend said in the last paragraph implies that ______ ．

A. People care little about sleeping　　 B. Sleeping is not important

C. Lazy people tend to sleep long　　 D. Sleeping is only part of our life

4.What is the purpose of the passage？

A. To talk about people's sleeping problems．

B. To provide an investigation result of sleeping．

C. To stress the function of sleeping at night．

D. To raise the awareness of enough sleeping．

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

March 21 has been declared World Sleep Day, a time to recognize and celebrate the value of sleep. Many sleep experts hope it will be a wake-up call.

According to a poll (民意调查）by the National Sleep Foundation, nearly 4 in 5 Americans don’t get as much sleep as they should during the workweek. On average, adults are thought to need at least eight hours of sleep a night, although some can manage with less and some won’t do well without more. But the survey found that, on workdays, only 21% of Americans actually get a full eight hours of sleep, and another 21% get less than six.

To many of us, the thought of spending more time sleeping is, well, a big yawn. On the other hand, the thought of being smarter, thinner, healthier and more cheerful has a certain appeal. And those are just a few of the advantages that can be ours if we consistently get enough sleep, researchers say. Also on the plus side: We’re likely to have better skin, better memories, better judgment, and, oh, yes, longer lives.

“When you lose even one hour of sleep for any reason, it influences your performance the next day,” says Dr. Alon Avidan, director of the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center.

A study published last year found the same to be true even of children. When kids aged 8 to 12 slept for just one hour less for four nights, they didn’t function as well during the day.

But sleeping has an image problem. “We see napping or sleeping as lazy,” says Jennifer Vriend, a clinical psychologist in Ottawa, Canada, and the leading author of the study with children. “We put so much emphasis on diet, nutrition and exercise. Sleep is in the back seat.”　 In fact, she adds, no matter how much we work out, no matter how well we eat, we can’t be in top physical shape unless we also get plenty of sleep.

1.The underlined part in Paragraph 1 means _____.

A. To wake up the sleepers

B. To draw people’s attention

C. To serve as a morning call

D. To declare the special day

2.From Paragraph 3 we can infer that _______

A. Being healthier is one of the advantages for us

B. Sleeping has nothing to do with one’s expectations

C. Spending more time on sleeping is a waste of time

D. Enough sleep is the guarantee of the appealing things

3.What Jennifer Vriend said in the last paragraph implies that _______.

A. Sleeping is an image problem

B. People care little about sleeping

C. Lazy people tend to sleep long

D. Sleeping is only part of our life

4.What is the purpose of the passage?

A. To talk about people’s sleeping problems.

B. To provide an investigation result of sleeping.

C. To arouse the awareness of enough sleeping.

D. To stress the function of sleeping at night.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Celebrating sleep

World Sleep Day, observed on 21 March, was created to bring attention to the growing number of sleep problems worldwide. Sleep is a natural part of human life, but many people in the modern world ignore its importance. As a result, sleep problems are increasingly common.

In 2002, scientists at the University of Athens in Greece conducted a survey of over 35,000 people in 10 countries around the world, including China, Belgium and South Africa. Of the people that responded to the survey, 24 percent said that they did not sleep well, and based on their responses, 31.6 percent were diagnosed (诊断)with insomnia（失眠）and another 17.5 percent were diagnosed with borderline insomnia. In addition, 30.7 percent of survey respondents reported visiting a doctor for help with sleep problems and 11.6 percent said that they felt very sleepy during the day.

Overall, the survey found that ninny people suffer the effects of poor quality sleep, some examples of which are being unable to fall asleep and waking up in the middle of the night. The main factors causing these problems are pressure from school or work and a fast pace of life, but noise pollution and light pollution also interfere with sleep and contribute to poor quality sleep. The survey’s findings are particularly troubling because large numbers of people were found to have difficulty sleeping at night. The short-term effects of this are tiredness and trouble concentrating. If this happens for a long time, the risk of putting on weight and having a heart attack may increase.

There are many things you can do to improve the quality of your sleep. First, you should have regular sleep habits. Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. You also need to make your bedroom a cool, dark, quiet place to sleep so that heat, light and noise do not disturb you. At night, you should also avoid things that contain caffeine, such as chocolate, coffee, tea and many soft drinks, as caffeine may keep you from sleeping.

Getting a good night's sleep is important for everyone. By following the advice above, you can rest better at night and work better during the day.

Title: Celebrating Sleep

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