Recently some articles claims the word ‘‘self...

Recently some articles claims the word ‘‘selfie” as one of the most annoying words. But I’d like to offer that maybe it is not so bad.

The “selfie” is used to describe the self-taken photo, often from a smart phone. Women and men decorate their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts with these pictures, sometimes with puckered (翘起) lips or large smiles. In fact, the selfie has become so widely known that over 31 million photos on Instagram are taken with the selfie.

Let’s think about it. Someone takes about 10 selfies each time they do, and they only end up posting one or two of those. They pick the one that they feel makes them look the best. Isn’t that beautiful? In that one picture, someone has given himself or herself confidence. Self-image is important. In society today, we are often so consumed with the feeling that what society tells us is perfect. But maybe, with that one selfie, we feel that we fit that bill. We feel handsome, beautiful, confident, smart, happy and content. For that moment, everything bad or terrible that has ever happened to us is erased (消除), because that smile or that pucker is what gives us the determination to love ourselves.

I saw a spoken word poem recently and the young man said: If I ask you what you love, the answers will most likely roll off your tongue. You love to read. You love to write. You love birds, music, your mom, your brother, your sister, your daughter, your best friend, your dog. How long do you think you can go on and on before you say “I love myself”.

That statement hit me like a ton of bricks. I’ve struggled with confidence all of my life. I still do. And in no way am I saying that taking a selfie is a gateway to that confidence. However, the selfie does deserve some credit for allowing individuals to express themselves. Pamela Rutledge agrees, stating, “There are many more photographs available now of real people than models.”

1. According to the author, selfie ______.

A. is an annoying habit for people

B. becomes a fashion among teenagers

C. makes a person become self-centered

D. gives a person a sense of confidence

2. According to the writer, we live in a society where ______.

A. being perfect is highly valued

B. people judge others by their appearance

C. confidence is based on one’s self-images

D. beauty almost decides everything

3.The author mentions a poem in the passage to stress ______.

A. the power of true love

B. the need to love ourselves

C. the kinds of love we have

D. the endless love we get

4. The best title for the passage is ______.

A. The Meaning of Selfie

B. A Fashion of Selfie

C. A Praise of Selfie

D. The Criticism of Selfie

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Recently coined words such as "selfie" and "hangry" reflect humans' evolving language. The communication patterns of other social animals, including whales also vary over time. The songs adult male humpback whales produce during the breeding season, for example, are constantly changing.

But in a new study, researchers investigated the permanence of non-song whale vocalizations (发声) known as calls and found that the majority have remained stable over multiple decades. This surprising result suggests that calls may function as important tools for conveying information about foraging (觅食), social behaviors and whale identity.

"The running hypothesis is that any time the whales are talking about something other than breeding, they're using calls, " explains Michelle Fournet, a marine ecologist now at Cornell University and lead author of the new study. These vocalizations, which typically last only a few seconds, are extremely diverse. They can be heard by other whales several kilometers away.

Fournet and her collaborators amassed nearly 115 hours of archival recordings collected in southeastern Alaska between 1976 and 2012. By analyzing the duration and frequency of the calls, the researchers grouped them into 16 types. Fournet and her team detected 12 of them in both the earliest and most recent recordings -and each of the 16 call types recurred over at least three decades, the scientists reported last September in Scientific Reports. This finding led Fournet to conclude that these particular vocalizations most likely are essential to the whales' survival ensuring foraging success and social contact. "For calls to stay in the [collective] conversation for so long is an indication that these call types are vital to the life histories of humpback whales, " she says.

Next summer Fournet plans to travel to Southeastern Alaska to play back recordings of calls humpbacks there. The goal is to test theories about the functions of different calls, she says, adding "We're going to go and start the conversation. "

1.The first paragraph is intended to draw readers' attention to ______.

A.whales' good gift in singing songs

B.humans' creative invention of words

C.the wide use of language in the world today

D.social animals' changing way of communication

2.Which of the following are most likely to be TRUE about humpback whales' calls?

A.They often last several minutes. B.They can still be heard from a distance.

C.They are divided into 12 types. D.They help whales sleep very well.

3.What does the underlined word "recurred" in Paragraph 4 most probably mean?

A.Repeated. B.Changed.

C.Suffered. D.Disappeared.

4.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that later scientists would try to______.

A.record the real-life calls of humpbacks

B.advance new theories of humpbacks' calls

C.find out the specific meanings of humpbacks' calls

D.travel all over the world to collect more calls of whales

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

This year the selfie earned its place as the Oxford English Dictionary’s 2013 Word Of The Year．It has taken over our culture-and our smartphones．The rise of the selfie has become universal-between presidents，celebrities(名人)and citizens alike-and the trend is only continuing to grow.

A recent survey conducted by the Pew Internet＆American Life Project found that 54 percent of Internet have posted original photos online．And of those hundreds of millions of photos， many are of selfie photos．

For example，currently there are nearly 62 million posted selfie

photos on Instagram，the social media tool that has　 significantly contributed to the personal photo’s popularity．That figure，which continues to rise every day, does not even begin to include the selfies shared　 on Facebook and Twitter.

What makes the selfie so attractive-and why do we feel it a must to take one? According to Dr．Pamela Rutledge，psychologist and director of the Media Psychology Research Center，the desire to take，post and get“likes” on selfies goes back to a biological behavior of all humans．

“ I think it influences our sense of social connection in the same way as it does when you go

to a party and people say‘Oh I love your dress，’” Rutledge told The Huffington Post.“Biological，social recognition is a real need and there is even an area of the brain that contributes to social activity．”

There is a way to adapt to the growing selfie culture．Whether you’re a selfie novice or an advanced poster，there are always things to be mindful of when you’re posting，Rutledge advises.

She offered two main principles to follow when it comes to posting on social media:

1．The Grandmother Rule

“Don't post anything online，whether text or visual，that you don't want grandmother or future

employer to see，” Rutledge said．“Selfies especially．”

2．The Elevator Rule

“You wouldn’t say something in an elevator that you or no one else wants to hear—the whole

world of social media is an elevator，” Rutledge said．“Be aware of the breadth of platform．It's easy to think you’re sharing a photo with a few people，but Instagram is public and people can come across things．”　　

1.What's the main idea of the first paragraph?

A．The selfie is taking the lead．　　

B．Many people are fond of smartphones．

C．The selfie will take over everything．

D．The selfie is an important new word．

2.According to the passage，people like“selfie”so much，because they___________.

A．need to be acknowledged in social life

B．want to show off their new dresses

C．desire to share good things

D．mean to amuse the public

3.The underlined word“novice”in Paragraph 6 probably means“___________”.

A．publisher　　 B．greenhand　　 C．novelist　　　 D．celebrity

4.When it comes to posting on social media，Rutledge advises people to___________.

A．share photos only on Instagram

B．talk about their photos in an elevator

C．be cautious in posting things online

D．follow rules set by their grandmothers

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Recently the Chinese society has ________ a flow of new words such as “Geili” and “ Shanhun”．

A．seen　     B．observed

C．made　     D．looked

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Recently the Chinese society has______ a flow of new words such as “Geili” and “Shanhun”.

A. seen    B. observed    C. made    D. looked

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Recently the Chinese society has ________ a flow of new words such as “Geili” and “Shanhun”．

A．seen　 B．observed　 C．made　 D．looked

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Recently, researchers at the University of Toronto figured out a way with a quick video selfie to accurately measure blood pressure with your smartphone’s camera by developing a technology known as transdermal optical imaging (TOI)(透皮光学成像).

Cameras on smartphones can catch red light reflected from hemoglobin (血红素）under our skin, which permits TOI to visualize and measure blood flow changes. Researchers measured the blood pressure of 1,328 Canadian and Chinese adults by getting two-minute videos of their faces on an iPhone. “From the video got by the technology, you can see how the blood flows in different parts of the face and through this flow, you can get a lot of information,” said Kang Lee, lead author of the study.

Lee also helped create an app called Anura, which allows people to try out the TOI software for themselves, giving them the ability to record a 30-second video of their face and receive measurements for stress levels and resting heart rate. Lee said more research was needed to make sure that the measurements were as accurate as possible, explaining that the study didn’t test people with very dark or very fair skin.

“In order to improve our app to make it usable, particularly for people with hypertension (高血压)，we need to collect a lot of data from them, which is very hard because a lot of them are already taking medicine,” Lee explained. “We cannot tell them not to take medicine, but from time to time, we get participants who don’t take medicine so we can get hypertensive people this way.”

The scientists said there were many potential applications of the technology, including providing health services for those who lived in remote areas.

1.What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 2？

A.Information offered by TOI. B.New findings on hypertension.

C.How TOI is put into smart phones. D.How the TOI technology works.

2.What might people benefit from the new technology mentioned above?

A.Living a life free from stress. B.Improving the heart function gradually.

C.Accessing health services for free. D.Knowing abnormal blood pressure earlier.

3.What can be done for a better Anura?

A.Equipping phones with better cameras.

B.Allowing phones to record longer videos.

C.Collecting data from more diverse samples.

D.Persuading participants not to take medicine.

4.Why does the author write this text?

A.To predict future applications of TOI.

B.To introduce TOI and an app related.

C.To describe functions of cameras on phones.

D.To evaluate the quality of an app called Anura.

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Hello. It’s one of the first words we learn as babies, yet it’s one of the last words we think to use as adults today. That’s unfortunate, because saying hello is more than just saying hello——it is recognition of another’s worth. How might the world change——how might we change——if we mastered this word? To find out, I spent one month saying hello to every person I met. Here’s what I’ve learned.

It can boost (促进) productivity. In one of the few studies ever done on this subject, Allan All day, an assistant professor of special education at Oklahoma State University, had middle school teachers greet their students individually each morning. This exchange of greetings raised the kids’ productivity. School went from impersonal to personal, and that resulted in more class participation and better grades.

Environments influence friendliness. One study found that people in the city were less likely to shake hands with a stranger than those in the countryside. My experience was similar. Whatever the reason, my urban hellos were answered far less often than my rural ones. Similarly, people in vacation spots were far friendlier than those hurrying work downtown.

It’s a form of universal health insurance. It’s impossible to say hello without smiling. And smiling has been shown to lower blood pressure, relieve stress and boost happiness. Apparently, a smile creates a similar effect in the recipient (接受者).

So maybe we can make the world a better place by____________.  After a month of doing it, I feel lighter and I have a better sense of well-being.

1. What does the author say about the adults’ saying hello today?

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. Which sentence in the text is the closest in meaning to the following one?

　Teachers and students got friendlier so that the students became more active in learning and scored higher in tests.

　____________________________________________________________________

3.Fill in the blank in Paragraph 5 with proper words. (within 5 words)

　____________________________________________________________________

4.What are the three effects of smiling on health according to the text. (within 8 words)

Smiling can ___________________________________________________________

高三英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析

There is one word that is on the lips of Americans , day and night , “Sorry”.

One time as I was walking on the street , a young man ran by hurriedly , brushing against my handbag . Even as he continued on his way , he turned back and said “sorry” to me . Even in a rush , he didn’t forget to apologize .

One day , after I bought some apples , the salesman was giving me the change , but I wasn’t ready for it , and a coin dropped on the ground, “I’m sorry ,” he said while bending down to pick it up . I was puzzled —why would he apologize when it was my fault ?

Another time , I stepped on a man’s foot in an escalator . At the same time , we both said “sorry” . I thought it interesting : was it really necessary for him apologize ?

Later on , an American friend explained to me that according to the American ideas, the escalator is public place which everyone should be able to stand in . After someone occupies a position in the escalator , making it difficult for someone else to find a place to stand in , isn’t it necessary to express an apology ?

During my stay in America , I gradually realized that when friction (摩擦) occurs in daily life , Americans don’t care much about who is responsible . If someone is troubled , a “sorry” is always necessary . Even if the other person is hurt , the “sorry” would cool tempers . Perhaps this is why I never saw anyone quarreling on the buses , subways or streets in America .

1.When I was walking in the street , ____ .

2.When the salesman gave me the change , _____

3.The man on whose feet I stepped apologized to me because ____ .

4.In this passage , the author seems to feel _____ the Americans’ “sorry”.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

“Selfie” may have been named Oxford Dictionary’s word of 2013. In effect，so widely known has the selfie become that in the past 12 months，its frequency in the English language has increased by 17000 percent，said Oxford dictionaries. However，its popularity has just earned it another honour-being voted the most annoying and overused term of the past 12 months. But I’d like to offer that maybe it isn’t so bad.

According to the Oxford online dictionary, selfie is a photo that one takes of oneself， often from a smart phone，and send them to a social media website. Women and men alike decorate their Facebook and Twitter accounts with these pictures，sometimes with exaggerated facial expressions，such as large smiles or puckered lips(噘嘴).

Let’s think about it. Someone takes about 10 selfies each time they do，and they only end up posting one or two of those. They pick the one that they feel makes them look the best. Isn’t that beautiful? In that one picture，somebody has given himself or herself confidence. Self-image is vital. In today’s society，we are so crazy about being perfect. But perhaps，with that one selfie，we feel as if we fit that need. We feel handsome，beautiful，confident，smart，happy，and content. For that moment，everything bad or terrible that has ever happened to us seemed to have been erased，for that smile or that pucker is what gives us the determination to love ourselves.

A spoken-word poem I saw lately set me thinking：If I ask you what you love，the answers will most likely roll of your tongue. You love to read. You love to write. You love birds，music…your mom，your brother，your sister，your daughter，your best friend，your dog. How long do you think you could go on and on before you said，“I love myself.”?

The poem hit me like a ton of bricks. I’ve struggled with confidence all of my life. And I still do. And in no way am I saying that taking a selfie is a gateway to that confidence. However，the selfie does deserve some credit for allowing individuals to express themselves. Just as Pamela Rutledge put it，“There are many more photographs available now of real people than models.”

1.According to the writer, we live in a society where ________.

A. selfie leads to success

B. a good image decides one’s status

C. one’s poor performance can be erased

D. being perfect is highly valued

2.The spoken-word poem mentioned in the 4th paragraph implies ________.

A. our pleasure to enjoy beauty

B. our need to love people around us

C. our tendency to ignore ourselves

D. our real love to share with others

3.What does the underlined word “credit” in the last paragraph mean?

A. praise            B. grade            C. trust            D. fame

4.In the writer’s opinion, selfie ________.

A. brings about people’s sense of confidence

B. is merely popular among teenagers

C. tells the true meaning of life

D. is an annoying phenomenon on the Internet

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析