San Francisco has its cable cars． Seattle has...

San Francisco has its cable cars． Seattle has its Space Needle． And, Longview has its squirrel bridge． The bridge, which has attracted international attention, is now a local landmark．

The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in 1963 by a local builder, Amos Peters, to give squirrels a way to cross the busy road without getting flattened by passing cars．

The original bridge was built over Olympia Way on the west edge of' the library grounds．Before the bridge was built, squirrels had to avoid traffic to and from the Park Plaza office building where office staff' put out a nutty feast for the squirrels． Many times, Peters and others who worked in and near Park Plaza witnessed squirrels being run over．

One day Peters found a dead squirrels with a nut still in its mouth, and that day’s coffee break discussion turned into squirrel safety． The group of businessmen cooked up the squirrel bridge idea and formed a committee to ask the blessing of' the City Council（市政会）．The Council approved, and Councilwoman Bess LaRiviere named the bridge “Nutty Narrows．”

After architects designed the bridge, Amos Peters and Bill Hutch started construction． They built the 60-foot bridge from aluminum （铝） and lengths of fire hose （消防水带）． It cost $1,000．

It didn't take long before reports of' squirrels using the bridge started． Squirrels were even seen guiding their young and teaching them the ropes． The story was picked up by the media, and Nutty Narrows became known in newspapers all over the world．

In 1983, after 20 years of' use, Peters took down the worn-out bridge．Repairs were made and crosspieces were replaced． The faded sign was repainted and in July  1983, hundreds of' animal lovers attended the completion ceremony of 'the new bridge．

Peters died in 1984, and a ten-foot wooden squirrel sculpture was placed near the bridge in memory of its builder and his devotion to the project．

1.The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in order to ________．

A．offer squirrels a place to eat nuts

B．set up a local landmark

C．help improve traffic

D．protect squirrels

2.What happened over the coffee break discussion?

A．The committee got the Council's blessing．

B．The squirrel bridge idea was born．

C．A councilwoman named the bridge

D．A squirrel was found dead．

3.What does the underlined phrase“teaching them the ropes”probably means in the text?

A．Passing them a rope

B．Directing them to store food for winter

C．Teaching them a lesson

D．Showing them how to use the bridge．

4.Which of the following is true of 'the squirrel bridge?

A．It was replaced by a longer one．

B．It was built from wood and metal

C．it was rebuilt after years of use

D．It was designed by Bill Hutch．

5.What can we learn about Amos Peters?

A．He is remembered for his love of' animals．

B．He donated $l,000 to build the bridge

C．He was a member of' the City Council

D．He was awarded a medal for building the bridge．

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

San Francisco has its cable cars. Seattle has its Space Needle. And, Longview has its squirrel bridge. The bridge, which has attracted international attention, is now a local landmark.

The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in 1963 by a local builder, Amos Peters, to give squirrels a way to cross the busy road without getting flattened by passing cars.

The original bridge was built over Olympia Way on the west edge of the library grounds. Before the bridge was built, squirrels had to avoid traffic to and from the Park Plaza office building where office staff put out a nutty feast for the squirrels. Many times, Peters and others who worked in and near Park Plaza witnessed squirrels being run over.

One day Peters found a dead squirrel with a nut still in its mouth, and that day’s coffee break discussion turned into squirrel safety. The group of businessmen cooked up the squirrel bridge idea and formed a committee to ask the blessing of the City Council(市政会).The Council approved, and Councilwoman Bess LaRiviere named the bridge “Nutty Narrows.”

After architects designed the bridge, Amos Peters and Bill Hutch started Construction, They built the 60-foot bridge from aluminum and lengths of fire hose(消防水带). It cost 1,000.

It didn’t take long before reports of squirrels using the bridge started. Squirrels were even seen guiding their young and teaching them the ropes. The story was picked up by the media, and Nutty Narrows became know in newspapers all over the world.

In 1983, after 20 years of use, Peters took down the worn-out bridge. Repairs were made and crosspieces were replaced. The faded sign was repainted and in July 1983, hundreds of animal lovers attended the completion ceremony of the new bridge.

Peters died in 1984, and a ten-foot wooden squirrel sculpture was placed near the bridge in memory of its builder and his devotion to the project.

1.The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in order to ________.

A.offer squirrels a place to eat nuts

B.set up a local landmark

C.help improve traffic

D.protect squirrels

2.What happened over the coffee break discussion?

A.The committee got the Council’s blessing.

B.The squirrel bridge idea was born

C.A councilwoman named the bridge

D.A squirrel was found dead.

3.What does the underlined phrase “teaching them the ropes” probably means in the text?

A.passing them a rope

B.Directing them to store food for winter

C.Teaching them a lesson

D.Showing them how to use the bridge.

4.Which of the following is true of the squirrel bridge?

A.It was replaced by a longer one.

B.It was built from wood and metal

C.it was rebuilt after years of use

D.It was designed by Bill Hutch.

5.What can we learn about Amos Peters?

A.He is remembered for his love of animals.

B.He donated $1,000 to build the bridge

C.He was a member of the City Council

D.He was awarded a medal for building the bridge.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

San Francisco has long been a favorite place for travelers who are ready to learn languages．The mild （温和的） year-round climate, shops and restaurants, bars and night-life, and some of the most beautiful scene in the US attract many visitors to this relaxing and welcoming city．Students are sure to find the San Francisco Bay Area an interesting, safe and friendly place in which they can live and study．This is the most important．

English School in San Francisco is located in the heart of the city．It is one of the best San Francisco English language schools．You can see views of the city from your classroom! Many buses stop less than a five-minute walk from the school, which is also just a two-minute walk from the famous Union Square, San Francisco Shopping Centre, the Financial District, Yerba Buena gardens and the Museum of Modern Art．The school is minutes away from the cable cars （缆车） to Chinatown and Fisherman’s Wharf and a boat ride on the bay．

San Francisco is a great place to study English and learn about American culture, offering excellent opportunities in sports, entertainment and arts．The city borders （接近） excellent beaches, and you can sail or surf all year round．

San Francisco has more restaurants than any other city in the US, and is the home of many theaters, music and dance companies, as well as museums．Just walking through the many areas of San Francisco, you are certain to find something wonderful．

1.That San Francisco attracts students most might be ______．

2.It is only a two-minute walk from English School to ______．

3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

4.The author mainly wants to tell us ______．

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

For decades，the San Francisco Bay area has been the heart of the computer technology industry．Many of the biggest technology companies have their headquarters in the area called Silicon Valley．But the area has not always been associated with charity(慈善)．

Now，a new generation of entrepreneurs(企业家)appears to be changing Silicon Valley．One example is Marc Benioff，a donor(捐赠者)，who has called on wealthy donors to give more to their communities．He also is the founder of Salesforce．com，a computer services company in San Francisco who has helped build a children’s hospital and given millions of dollars to non-profit organizations in the city．

Money from the technology industry has also started to change the face of charity．Benjamin Soskis writes about the history and ideas behind charity in America．His articles have appeared in The Atlantic magazine and a number of major publications．He says，traditionally，donors have given after they spent much of their lives building up wealth．Usually donors are in their 70s．But an increasing number of people appearing on the list of top donors are younger than 40 years of age．Benjamin Soskis says that is something new．“There’s a whole new model that’s appearing in which people give and accumulate at the same time．”

Some of the young donors on this year's top 50 list have started to change in the way people see charity．That is especially the case in the San Francisco area，where giving money and making money appear to be coming together．“I think it's fair to say that charity is now a part of the Silicon Valley identity．”

1.What is true of Marc Benioff?

A．He joined a non-profit organization．

B．He advised donors to build hospitals．

C．He made San Francisco a city of charity．

D．He set up the company of Salesforce．com．

2.What is special about the donors of Silicon Valley?

A．They prefer to give rather than make money．

B．They give after accumulating a lot of wealth．

C．They are much younger than the usual donors．

D．They donate more money to their communities．

3.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．The age of charity

B．The changing faces of charity

C．In search of new faces

D．From computer base to charity centre

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

For decades，the San Francisco Bay area has been the heart of the computer technology industry．Many of the biggest technology companies have their headquarters in the area called Silicon Valley．But the area has not always been associated with charity(慈善)．

Now，a new generation of entrepreneurs(企业家)appears to be changing Silicon Valley．One example is Marc Benioff，a donor(捐赠者)，who has called on wealthy donors to give more to their communities．He also is the founder of Salesforce．com，a computer services company in San Francisco who has helped build a children’s hospital and given millions of dollars to non-profit organizations in the city．

Money from the technology industry has also started to change the face of charity．Benjamin Soskis writes about the history and ideas behind charity in America．His articles have appeared in The Atlantic magazine and a number of major publications．He says，traditionally，donors have given after they spent much of their lives building up wealth．Usually donors are in their 70s．But an increasing number of people appearing on the list of top donors are younger than 40 years of age．Benjamin Soskis says that is something new．“There’s a whole new model that’s appearing in which people give and accumulate at the same time．”

Some of the young donors on this year's top 50 list have started to change in the way people see charity．That is especially the case in the San Francisco area，where giving money and making money appear to be coming together．“I think it's fair to say that charity is now a part of the Silicon Valley identity．”

1.What is true of Marc Benioff?

A．He joined a non-profit organization．

B．He advised donors to build hospitals．

C．He made San Francisco a city of charity．

D．He set up the company of Salesforce．com．

2.What is special about the donors of Silicon Valley?

A．They prefer to give rather than make money．

B．They give after accumulating a lot of wealth．

C．They are much younger than the usual donors．

D．They donate more money to their communities．

3.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．The age of charity

B．The changing faces of charity

C．In search of new faces

D．From computer base to charity centre

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A company in San Francisco, California, has found a way to turn used plastic bottles into women’s shoes.

Every day, millions of Americans drink water and other liquids from plastic bottles. More than 60 million of them are thrown away each day. Many of the plastic bottles end up in landfills or are burned with other waste products.

A San Francisco start-up company called Rothy's, however, turns this plastic waste into environmentally friendly shoes. Roth Martin is the company’s co-founder. He explains how ihey turn plastic into soft material for women’s feet. They take the plastic, clean it, and break it down into small pieces. Then they press them through a device that makes soft fibers. Those fibers arc then combined together. This is done by a 3D machine. It is designed to reduce waste while making the shoes. The knitted stuff and the inner part of the shoe arc then attached to the shoe’s outer part, called the sole (鞋底).This outer sole is also made from environmentally friendly　 material: responsibly sourced no-carbon rubber.

Rolhy’s shoes are sold online. They are flat shoes, with either a rounded or pointed toe. They come in different colors and designs. They cost either $ 125 or $ 145 per pair, depending on the design. After American actress Gwyneth Paltrow discovered them last year, the demand for the shoes grew. Martin says there is no shortage of material to fill that demand. “We’re not going to run out of water bottles any time soon. So we have a limitless supply of material, and I think that is a good sign for our future." When the environmentally friendly shoes wear out, customers can return them at no cost to a company that uses the recycled material to make other products.

For now, the shoes are only available to be shipped in the United States. However, the company says it will add international shipping in the near future.

1.How are used plastic bottles usually dealt with?

A. They are used to make shoes.

B. They are buried or burned.

C. They are changed into soft materials.

D. They are returned to factories for reuse.

2.What does the underlined word “knitted” in the third paragraph mean?

A. Combined. B. Fixed.

C. Spotted. D. Repaired.

3.Which of the following directly helped to increase the sales of Rothy’s shoes?

A. The design and color.

B. The reasonable price.

C. The star power of Gwyneth Paltrow.

D. The company's advertisement.

4.What is the purpose of the text?

A. To advertise a new kind of shoes.

B. To describe the process of making shoes.

C. To introduce a new way of recycling plastic waste.

D. To stress the importance of environmental protection.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A company in San Francisco, California, has found a way to turn used plastic bottles into women’s shoes.

Every day, millions of Americans drink water and other liquids from plastic bottles. More than 60 million of them are thrown away each day. Many of the plastic bottles end up in landfills or are burned with other waste products.

A San Francisco start-up company called Rothy’s, however, turns this plastic waste into environmentally friendly shoes. Roth Martin is the company’s co-founder. He explains how they turn plastic into soft material for women’s feet. They take the plastic, clean it, and break it down into small pieces. Then they press them through a device that makes soft fibers. Those fibers are then combined together. This is done by a 3D machine. It is designed to reduce waste while making the shoes. The knitted stuff and the inner part of the shoe are then attached to the shoe’s outer part, called the sole (鞋底). This outer sole is also made from environmentally friendly material: responsibly sourced no-carbon rubber.

Rothy’s shoes are sold online. They are flat shoes, with either a rounded or pointed toe. They come in different colors and designs. They cost either $ 125 or $ 145 per pair, depending on the design. After American actress Gwyneth Paltrow discovered them last year, the demand for the shoes grew. Martin says there is no shortage of material to fill that demand. “We’re not going to run out of water bottles any time soon. So we have a limitless supply of material, and I think that is a good sign for our future.” When the environmentally friendly shoes wear out, customers can return them at no cost to a company that uses the recycled materials to make other products.

For now, the shoes are only available to be shipped in the United States. However, the company says it will add international shipping in the near future.

1.How are used plastic bottles usually dealt with?

A. They are buried or burned.

B. They are used to make shoes.

C. They are changed into soft materials.

D. They arc returned to factories for reuse.

2.What does the underlined word knitted in the third paragraph mean?

A. Attached.　　 B. Fixed.

C. Combined.　　 D. Repaired.

3.Which of the following directly helped to increase the sales of Rothy’s shoes?

A. The design and color.　　 B. The reasonable price.

C. The company’s advertisement.　　 D. The star power of Gwyneth Paltrow.

4.What is the purpose of the text?

A. To advertise a new kind of shoes.

B. To describe the process of making shoes.

C. To introduce a new way of recycling plastic waste.

D. To stress the importance of environmental protection.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

San Francisco's Chinatown is the biggest and oldest in the country. It's the third most visited tourist destination in the city. It's also the city's most densely populated neighbor- hood. So why are. businesses in Chinatown struggling?

　　　 In this week's paper, I outline some of the reasons for why Chinatown's crowded streets and busy shops might be declining. Underneath the surface, Chinatown is falling. And the city, local organizations and businesses are trying to figure out what they can do to turn things around.

While numbers of people visit Chinatown, they don't stay long and they don't spend a lot of money.　 And beyond annual festivals,1ike Chinese New Years,　 this month's Moon Festival and last month's Sunday Streets - which drew about 15,000 t0 20.000 people – the neighborhood has a hard time attracting locals.

Can you remember the last. time you went to Chinatown ?If you can't, You're not alone. Locals told me that Chinatown doesn't have much to offer them - that the stores are all the same. There are some good eating joints, people said, but they don't know how to find them. Some people even told me that they sometimes go to extreme measures to avoid the neighborhood altogether. But when asked if the-v would like to see Chinatown gone, the answer was always a strong no.

Locals are hopeful that things will get better and traffic will increase when the Central Subway is complete. But chat's not for another five years. at least. And if' new shops or restaurants don't make their way into Chinatown. the same problem of attracting locals will exist.

　　　 Not that Chinatown's going to die. The dragon still has some fire in its belly. And many people are rooting for positive change. The question is, how does Chinatown change without losing the very importance of what makes it unique?

1.Which can we know about Chinatown according to the passage?

A. Businesses in Chinatown are going well.

B. Local people like going shopping there.

C. A great number of people visit it every year.

D. No period has seen a more prosperous Chinatown.

2.According to the locals we can know that _______.

A. Chinatown doesn't love to offer them assistance

B. shops in Chinatown lack their own characteristics

C. it is hard to buy quality goods at proper prices

D. they feel annoyed to see so many familiar faces

3.What is the author's attitude towards Chinatown?

A. Negative.　　　　 B. Sympathy.　　　　 C. Hopeful.　　 D. Indifferent.

4.It can be inferred from the passage ______.

A. the Central Subway is under construction

B. Chinatown has to make way for subway

C. many restaurants have been closed down

D. the locals hope Chinatown will be extinct

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California is one of the world's most beautiful bridges. It is also one of the most visited places in the world. Vehicles(车辆) cross the bridge an average of 41 million times each year. More than 1,800 hundred million vehicles have used the bridge since it opened more than 70 years ago.

The bridge was painted “International Orange” because that color went well with the natural surroundings. The color also is easier to see in the heavy fog that often covers the area. But the Golden Gate Bridge was not named for its orange color. It was named for the body of water that it crosses, the Golden Gate Strait.

The Golden Gate Strait is the entrance to the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. The Golden Gate Bridge links the city of San Francisco with Marin County，California.

Planning for the bridge began in the 1920s when the area around San Francisco was growing. People living in the area needed another way to get to the city besides small ferries(渡船)．

Joseph Strauss was the chief engineer for the project. Work began in 1934. Mr.Strauss demanded the strongest safety protections in the history of bridge building. These included the first use of “hard hats” to protect the workers' heads and special glasses to protect their eyes.

A special safety net was suspended(挂) under the bridge. This net saved the lives of 19 men during the construction. However, 11 other workers were killed when they fell from the bridge through the net. Still, this was a new safety record for the time.

The Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937. It extends 1,280 meters across the water. The total length is 2,737 meters. It was the largest suspension bridge(吊桥) in the world until 1964. That is when the Verrazano Narrows Bridge opened in New York City. Today, the Golden Gate Bridge is the ninth longest suspension bridge in the world.

1.The Golden Gate Bridge was named after ________．

A．the local climate                B．the color of a paint

C．the strait it crosses            D．its natural surroundings

2.How did people cross the Golden Gate Strait before the bridge was built?

A．By plane.        B．By boat.        C．By road.        D．By train.

3.The purpose of suspending a special safety net is to ________.

A．protect the environment

B．make construction easier

C．prevent workers from falling

D．save building materials from falling

4.What do we know about Joseph Strauss?

A．He attached importance to the workers' safety.

B．His safety measures were not of practical value.

C．He built the first suspension bridge in the world.

D．He demanded strong measures to ensure the safety of the bridge.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California is one of the world’s most beautiful bridges．It is also one of the most visited places in the world．More than 1800 hundred million vehicles have used the bridge since it opened more than 70 years ago.

The bridge was painted “International Orange” because that color went well with the natural surroundings．The color also is easier to see in the heavy fog that often covers the area．But the Golden Gate Bridge was not named for its orange color．It was named for the body of water that it crosses, the Golden Gate Strait, which is the entrance to the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean．

Planning for the bridge began in the 1920s when the area around San Francisco was growing．People living in the area needed another way to get to the city besides small ferries．Joseph Strauss was the chief engineer for the project．Work began in 1934．Mr．Strauss demanded the strongest safety protections in the history of bridge building．These included the first use of “hard hats” to protect the workers’ heads and special glasses to protect their eyes．A special safety net was suspended under the bridge．This net saved the lives of 19 men during the construction.

The Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937．It extends 1,280 meters across the water．The total length is 2,737 meters．It was the largest suspension bridge(吊桥) in the world until 1964．That is when the Verrazano Narrows Bridge opened in New York City．Today, the Golden Gate Bridge is the ninth longest suspension bridge in the world．

1.What was the Golden Gate Bridge named after?

A. The Strait it crosses.　　 B. The color of paint.

C. The local climate.　　 D. Its natural surroundings.

2.How did people cross the Golden Gate Strait before the bridge was built?

A. By plane．　　 B. By train．　　 C. By road．　　 D. By boat．

3.Why was a special safety net suspended under the bridge?

A. Because it can protect the environment.

B. Because it can prevent workers from falling.

C. Because it can make construction easier.

D. Because it can save building materials from falling.

4.What do we know about Joseph Strauss?

A. He built the first suspension bridge in the world.

B. His safety measures were not of practical value.

C. He attached importance to the workers’ safety.

D. He demanded strong measures to ensure the safety of the bridge.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析