Most people like to escape the summer heat wi...

Most people like to escape the summer heat with a trip to the beach or a swim in the local pool, but here’s a better choice for you: Coudersport Ice Mine.

The mine was a roadside attraction in Pennsylvania’s Appalachian Mountains for many years until it was suddenly closed down for some reason. But after being closed for nearly a quarter of a century, this hidden summer getaway was　 once again open to the public in 2014, reports Living on Earth.

The mine isn’t just a great place to escape the summer heat; it’s also something of an unsolved mystery. Strangely, the cave only produces ice in the summertime, and it tends to produce more ice when the surrounding temperature gets higher. When winter falls and snow covers the hilltops, the ice in the cave melts. The cave is so mysterious that some locals even say (falsely) that the cave is man-made.

Originally discovered in 1894, the mine was first used to store meat and for ice harvesting. By the early 1900s, however, it was changed into a tourist attraction. Inside the cave in the summer it gets cold, like walking into a fridge.

Though the cave remains largely mysterious, there are theories. Experts say that cold winter air gets into the cave through cracks in the rocks, and due to the unusual interconnection of the cracks here, that cold air gets concentrated into the cave. The reason ice only forms in the summer is because of the seasonal humidity (湿度) increase in the surrounding atmosphere, along with an increase in groundwater, which becomes exposed to the freezing air. In the winter, warm air trapped in the rocks from the summer escapes and melts the ice.

Part of the charm of the Coudersort Ice Mine, though, is that it keeps much of its mystery. Perhaps it’s best to simply think of it as a long-lost hole in the mountain where Old Man Winter sleeps. At any rate, it’s a great place to escape the heat of summer. If you’re interested in checking it out, you can get more information from its Facebook page.

1.What does the history of Coudersport Ice Mine tell us?

A. It had shut down for about 35 years.

B. It had been closed down only once.

C. It used to be open only in the summer.

D. It first attracted attention a century ago.

2.What was the cave originally used for?

A. Producing heat.　　 B. Attracting tourists.

C. Keeping food fresh.　　 D. Storing newly harvested crops.

3.How does the cave work in the summer according to experts?

A. Its cracks trap a lot of water.

B. It produces more cracks in the rocks.

C. Its humidity increases and it gets hotter.

D. The cold air from its cracks freezes the water.

4.What does the author think of the mystery of Coudersport Ice Mine?

A. It should be kept secret forever.

B. It makes the cave more attractive.

C. It gets deeper if you are interested in it.

D. It is related to the tale of Old Man Winter.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Several parents and children escaped the summer heat and enjoyed a refreshing “Leap Into a Good Book”．About 30 children and parents gathered as volunteers for both agencies.

After the readings，refreshments (点心) were offered and children and parents were given books，a gift bag and a bookmark with information on adult literacy (读写能力) programs.

Learn to Read of Northwest Florida Inc.and Even Start coordinated the event with hopes that combining their programs will help target functionally illiterate adults and their families.A functionally illiterate adult is one who has reading skills below a seventh­grade level.That often means they have difficulty filling out job applications，understanding a lease，reading medication labels or to their children.

Merelin Hernandez,9，a fourth­grader at Warrington Elementary School，understands the importance of reading.She also says it makes her happy when she is bored.“Reading helps me go to another grade，”she says.“I feel proud when I get a B because then I know I am reading well.”Monae Walker,7，a student at Oakcrest Elementary School，says reading teaches her and makes her happy.

Learn to Read of Northwest Florida Inc.provides one­on­one tutoring for basic reading and writing skills to adults 16 and older who are not in school.Tutors go through a 12­hour workshop and tutor their students 3 hours per week.The program currently has 150 active tutors.

Even Start is a family education program at McMillan Learning Center，which offers adult education classes and infant，toddler and prekindergarten services at no cost to families.Linda Harris，a teacher in charge of the Escambia Even Start program，says the program equips parents so they can help their children.

1.The event “Leap Into a Good Book”________．

A．was mainly held by Learn to Read

B．targeted functionally literate parents

C．was attended by about 30 volunteers

D．was held to enjoy reading in summer

2.According to the passage，a functionally illiterate adult________.

A．has skills below a seventh­grade level

B．has never got school education

C．has no ability to recognize English words

D．can’t fill out a job application

3.According to the passage，Monae Walker________.

A．was attending the one­on­one tutoring

B．was a school­leaver

C．was having a good time there

D．read books with her parents

4.According to the passage，Even Start can________.

A．make parents able to help their children

B．educate children how to use words

C．offer some services for families in life

D．offer a good place for children

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

I’m blessed with a happy family,  _______ that most people would like to have.

A. it                 B. the one         C. one               D. that

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

--Did you like your trip to Xi’an during the Summer vacation?

--____. It was too hot and there was too much traffic.

A. Not a little　　　　 B. Don’t mention it

C. Not really　　　　 D. Not exactly

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

It was the first time that I1.(take) a trip to Shanghai with my family this summer holiday.

The views in Shanghai left a deep impression2.me. The soaring Oriental Pearl Tower, the bustling Nanjing Road, and the antique Chenghuang Temple are all features of a complex and diverse Shanghai. When night shut in, the city became3.charming paradise. I remember standing on the deck of a yacht(快艇) as the fresh wind quietly embraced us.4.(stand) against the rail, I saw sprays of the glittering Huangpu River fly along the side of 5.(we) yacht. The colorful lights on the banks were twinkling while the moonlight was dripping through the clouds. Shadows of the modern buildings were reflected on the water.6.(passenger) on the deck were deeply absorbed in the beauty of the night.

Not only the views,7.also the residents, touched me. I once found my cell phone8. (miss) during my stay in the city. After searching through every corner of my room and my pockets, I almost gave up hope. Unexpectedly, an hour9.(late) my mother picked up a phone call from a policeman who10.(say) a taxi driver had returned the phone. The policeman then returned my phone very soon.

The trip to Shanghai is one of the best in my memory.

高三英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

—Did you like your trip to Xi' an during the Summer vacation?

—____．It was too hot and there was too much traffic．

A．Not a little

B．Don' t mention it

C．Not really

D．'Not exactly

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Until late in the 20th century most Americans spent time with people of different generations.Now middle-aged Americans may not keep in touch with old people until they are old themselves.

That's because we group people by age.We put our three-year-olds together in day-care centers,our 13-year-olds in schools and sport activities,and our 80-year-olds in senior citizen homes.Why?

We live far away from the old for many reasons.Young people sometimes avoid the old to get rid of fears of becoming old and dying.It is much harder to watch someone we love disappear before our eyes.Sometimes it’s got hard that we stay away from the people who need us the most.

Fortunately,some of us have found our way to the old.And we have discovered that they often save the young.

A reporter moved her family into a block filled with old people.At first her children were disappointed.But the reporter made banana bread for the neighbors and had her children send it and visit them.Soon the children had many new friends,with whom they shared food,stories and projects."My children have never been lonely,"the reporter said.

The young,in turn,save the old.Once I was in a rest home (an organization where old people are cared for) when a visitor showed up with a baby,she was immediately surrounded.People who hadn't gotten out of bed in a week suddenly were ringing for a wheelchair.Even those who had seemed asleep woke up to watch the child.Babies have an astonishing power to comfort and cure.

Grandparents are a special case.They give their grandchildren a feeling of security and continuity.As my husband put it "My grandparents gave me a deep sense that things would turn out right in the end." Grandchildren speak of attention they don't get from worried parents."My parents were always telling me to hurry up,and my grandparents told me to slow down," one friend said.A teacher told me she can tell which pupils have relationships with grandparents: they are quieter,calmer and more trusting.

1.Now in an American family,people can find that________.

A. children never live with their parents

B. not all working people live with their parents

C. old people are supported by their grandchildren

D. grandchildren are supported by their grandparents

2.Seeing a baby,the old people got excited because ________.

A. they had never seen a baby before

B. the baby was clever and beautiful

C. the baby brought them the image of life

D. the baby's mother would take care of them

3.Why are some children quieter,calmer and more trusting?

A. Because they have relationships with their grandparents.

B. Because their worried parents ask them to act like that.

C. Because they have nothing to worry about.

D. Because their teachers ask them to act like that.

4.Which of the following can show the fact that the old often save the young?

A. The old can become friends of the children and the children may not feel lonely.

B. The old get excited when they see a baby.

C. The old can cure the young when they are sick.

D. Babies have an astonishing power to comfort and cure.

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

The Best Time to Visit Sydney

If you prefer the cold to heat, especially if seeking to escape the northern summer, the best time to visit Sydney could be in the Australian winter from June 1 to August 31.

The Sydney winter isn’t really harsh and the weather’s generally pleasant. It’s great for touring the city on foot and for bushwalking. And the ski slopes are not too far away.

Holiday time

You get the Queen’s Birthday holiday weekend in June and the school holidays in July. Aside from within those periods, accommodation costs in the city will generally be lower.

Winter weather

Expect generally cool conditions. The average temperature should range from around 8°C (46°F) at night to 16°C (61°F) in the daytime in mid-winter. Expect from 80mm to 131mm of rainin a month, with the most rain in June tapering into August.

Winter accommodation

Outside of the holiday periods, Sydney accommodation will usually be available and should be relatively cheaper.

Winter activities

The weather’s fine for a walking tour of Sydney. Visit The Rocks, the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australian Museum, Hyde Park, Chinatown, Darling Harbour.

Go on a harbor cruise. At the very least, take a Sydney ferry and cross the harbor to Manly.

Take a daytrip north, south and west of Sydney.

Spot the whales as they travel north in the whale migration season.

Go bushwalking at the Royal National Park.

1. Considering weather and accommodation, the best time to visit Sydney is in ________.

A. June　　　　　 B. July　　　 C. August　　　 D. December

2. Which of the following activities is NOT recommended in the passage?

A. Going skiing near Sydney.

B. Hunting whales in the Royal Botanic Gardens.

C. Touring Sydney on foot.

D. Bushwalking at the Royal National Park.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The Best Time to Visit Sydney

If you prefer the cold to heat，especially if seeking to escape the northern summer，the best time to visit Sydney could be in the Australian winter from June 1 to August 31.

The Sydney winter isn’t really harsh and the weather’s generally pleasant.It’s great for touring the city on foot and for bushwalking.And the ski slopes are not too far away.

Holiday time

You get the Queen’s Birthday holiday weekend in June and the school holidays in July.Aside from within those periods，accommodation costs in the city will generally be lower.

Winter weather

Expect generally cool conditions.The average temperature should range from around 8℃(46) at night to 16℃(61) in the daytime in mid­winter.Expect from 80mm to 131mm of rain in a month，with the most rain in June tapering into August.

Winter accommodation

Outside of the holiday periods，Sydney accommodation will usually be available and should be relatively cheaper.

Winter activities

·The weather’s fine for a walking tour of Sydney.Visit the Rocks，the Sydney Opera House，the Royal Botanic Gardens，Art Gallery of New South Wales，Australian Museum，Hyde Park，Chinatown，Darling Harbour.

·Go on a harbor cruise.At the very least，take a Sydney ferry and cross the harbor to Manly.

·Take a day trip north，south and west of Sydney.

·Spot the whales as they travel north in the whale migration season.

·Go bushwalking at the Royal National Park.

1.Considering weather and accommodation，the best time to visit Sydney is in 　　　　　 .

A. June　　 B. July

C. August　　 D. December

2.Which of the following activities is NOT recommended in the passage?

A. Going skiing near Sydney.

B. Hunting whales in the Royal Botanic Gardens.

C. Touring Sydney on foot.

D. Bushwalking at the Royal National Park.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The Best Time to Visit Sydney

If you prefer the cold to heat，especially if seeking to escape the northern summer，the best time to visit Sydney could be in the Australian winter from June 1 to August 31.

The Sydney winter isn’t really harsh and the weather’s generally pleasant.It’s great for touring the city on foot and for bushwalking.And the ski slopes are not too far away.

Holiday time

You get the Queen’s Birthday holiday weekend in June and the school holidays in July.Aside from within those periods，accommodation costs in the city will generally be lower.

Winter weather

Expect generally cool conditions.The average temperature should range from around 8℃(46) at night to 16℃(61) in the daytime in mid­winter.Expect from 80mm to 131mm of rain in a month，with the most rain in June tapering into August.

Winter accommodation

Outside of the holiday periods，Sydney accommodation will usually be available and should be relatively cheaper.

Winter activities

·The weather’s fine for a walking tour of Sydney.Visit the Rocks，the Sydney Opera House，the Royal Botanic Gardens，Art Gallery of New South Wales，Australian Museum，Hyde Park，Chinatown，Darling Harbour.

·Go on a harbor cruise.At the very least，take a Sydney ferry and cross the harbor to Manly.

·Take a day trip north，south and west of Sydney.

·Spot the whales as they travel north in the whale migration season.

·Go bushwalking at the Royal National Park.

1.Considering weather and accommodation，the best time to visit Sydney is in 　　　　　 .

A. June B. July

C. August D. December

2.Which of the following activities is NOT recommended in the passage?

A. Going skiing near Sydney.

B. Hunting whales in the Royal Botanic Gardens.

C. Touring Sydney on foot.

D. Bushwalking at the Royal National Park.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析