Think of London and you will probably remember the bright red double-decker buses. Think of Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok, and the noisy tuk-tuks may come to mind. Think of San Francisco and you might see the city’s cable cars.
Imagining what these cities would look like without those is difficult. They are symbols of these cities that make them different. However, these city symbols are not always so well loved by their city leaders. City leaders want what is best for their city, which often means the most modern transport.
In Bangkok, city leaders have banned(禁止)tuk-tuks because they consider them noisy and polluting. However, the ban has largely been unsuccessful as it has not changed Thai people’s love for the cheap tuk-tuks over taxis.
In London the city’s first ever mayor(市长)removed the red double-decker buses, which he thought were old fashioned. His plan worked, but Londoners were unhappy to lose the nice old buses they believed represented the best of their city. They made their unhappiness felt when the mayor came up for re-election. Most Londoners voted for his competitor, who promised to bring the bus back.
As for San Francisco, several cable cars are still in use but mainly as tourist attractions. They are too slow to be used for anything other than scenic trips.
City transport symbols may have a place in their city people’s hearts, but it seems they are increasingly out of step with the modern world. As Londoners have proved, their continued life depends on people’s willingness to fight for their survival.
1. What’s the author’s purpose of writing the first paragraph?
A. To introduce some city transport symbols.
B. To explain why some cities are popular.
C. To talk about modern transport in some cities.
D. To attract more tourists to visit some cities.
2.The London double-decker bus is returning mainly because .
A. the new mayor loves it
B. Londoners fought for it
C. it is an improved transport
D. it is popular with tourists
3. Which proves the old city transport symbols are not loved by city leaders?
A. Only a few cable cars are still in use in San Francisco.
B. Bangkok city leaders tried to remove the cheap tuk-tuks.
C. The mayor who sold double-decker buses lost the re-election.
D. The new mayor will bring back improved double-decker buses.
4. What can we infer from the passage?
A. Modern cities should remove old city transport symbols.
B. The writer thinks highly of the old city transport symbols.
C. Old city transport symbols face the problem of survival.
D. Tourist cities will lose their attraction without the symbols.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Think of London and you will probably remember the bright red double-decker buses. Think of Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok, and the noisy tuk-tuks may come to mind. Think of San Francisco and you might see the city’s cable cars.
Imagining what these cities would look like without those is difficult. They are symbols of these cities that make them different. However, these city symbols are not always so well loved by their city leaders. City leaders want what is best for their city, which often means the most modern transport.
In Bangkok, city leaders have banned(禁止)tuk-tuks because they consider them noisy and polluting. However, the ban has largely been unsuccessful as it has not changed Thai people’s love for the cheap tuk-tuks over taxis.
In London the city’s first ever mayor(市长)removed the red double-decker buses, which he thought were old fashioned. His plan worked, but Londoners were unhappy to lose the nice old buses they believed represented the best of their city. They made their unhappiness felt when the mayor came up for re-election. Most Londoners voted for his competitor, who promised to bring the bus back.
As for San Francisco, several cable cars are still in use but mainly as tourist attractions. They are too slow to be used for anything other than scenic trips.
City transport symbols may have a place in their city people’s hearts, but it seems they are increasingly out of step with the modern world. As Londoners have proved, their continued life depends on people’s willingness to fight for their survival.
1. What’s the author’s purpose of writing the first paragraph?
A. To introduce some city transport symbols.
B. To explain why some cities are popular.
C. To talk about modern transport in some cities.
D. To attract more tourists to visit some cities.
2.The London double-decker bus is returning mainly because .
A. the new mayor loves it
B. Londoners fought for it
C. it is an improved transport
D. it is popular with tourists
3. Which proves the old city transport symbols are not loved by city leaders?
A. Only a few cable cars are still in use in San Francisco.
B. Bangkok city leaders tried to remove the cheap tuk-tuks.
C. The mayor who sold double-decker buses lost the re-election.
D. The new mayor will bring back improved double-decker buses.
4. What can we infer from the passage?
A. Modern cities should remove old city transport symbols.
B. The writer thinks highly of the old city transport symbols.
C. Old city transport symbols face the problem of survival.
D. Tourist cities will lose their attraction without the symbols.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The music of your teenage years probably will stay with you for the rest of your life.I think music is deeply connected with memory because of the emotions it awakens.Music also helps to mark time because of the way the fashions and stars of pop culture come and go.I often connect some summers with particular records (唱片 ) that came out while I was on holiday.But what's really the best way to record your youth? Is it your favorite song, or a picture of the singer?
In my teenage years, one of the special things about Britain was the huge amount of information about music.There were 3 weekly newspapers about music:Sounds, Melody Maker and the New Musical Express.Buying records was expensive and it also meant making a choice.So it was wise to read about music instead, and in some ways, it was actually better as well.It was possible for a group to get onto the front cover of one of the music papers without even having made any records—but they needed things to say for the reporters to write about.In fact, the best pop stars of the 1980s were people whose main talent was exactly that.They weren' t great musicians or singers and they weren't especially goodlooking, but they had some unusual acts or habits and a nice way with clever phrases.They were ideal for filling music papers.
When The Face magazine first came out in May, 1980, it was meant to be a rock magazine.I have given away or sold all the records I bought as a teenager, but I think my old copies of The Face will stay with me for ever.Although it started out as a source of information about music, the writers quickly realized that it wasn't really the music that was important—it was the way people spoke and acted, and, above all, the way they looked.
1.According to the author,music can NOT ________.
A.improve memory B.awaken emotions
C.mark time D.stay in the mind
2.We can infer that during the author's teenage years,________.
A.there were few records for customers to buy
B.some songs he heard while on holiday impressed him
C.he spent most of his holiday time on music
D.he loved one pop song the most
3.According to Paragraph 2,during the author's teenage years,________.
A.people had few chances to buy records
B.it was hard to judge whether records were good or not
C.it was not an easy thing for teenagers to get records
D.the choice of buying records only depended on newspapers
4.The underlined word “that” in Paragraph 2 means that ________.
A.people could get onto the music papers without having made any records
B.people's talent was not what reporters needed to write about
C.reporters wrote about the talents of pop stars
D.people read about music
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The Lifecycle of a T-shirt
We all probably have a lot of T-shirts, but do you ever stop and think about the influence of a T-shirt on the planet? You’d probably be surprised to learn what's involved in the lifecycle of just one T-shirt.
There are 5 major stages: material, production, shipping, use and disposal. The material stage involves farming, irrigating, fertilizing, harvesting and ginning. While cotton is a natural fiber and not as harmful to the environment as manmade fibers, it still takes a toll in the material and production stages. Commercial cotton farming uses a large amount of water, and the use of pesticides (杀虫剂) is widespread across the globe, especially in cotton farming. Studies have shown that farmers spend around $4.1 billion on pesticides annually, of which 25% was spent on cotton crops in the US.
Once the cotton is grown and harvested, so begins the production stage: spinning, knitting, bleaching, dyeing, cutting, sewing, etc.——these processes also use a great deal of water and energy. Commercial dyes and bleaches are harmful pollutants and can eventually pollute groundwater.
After the T-shirt is produced, it enters the transportation stage. This often involves overseas shipping. Take a look in your closet. Chances are that most of your cotton garments (衣服) are made in China or India. Garments can be shipped via plane, ship or truck…, all of which spill CO2 into the atmosphere. Calculations show that CO2 emissions from light trucks alone amount to 1.15 pounds per mile.
Once the T-shirt reaches the retail market, it is purchased. This stage may seem like the least environmentally damaging part. But consider the number of times you’ve washed and dried your favorite T-shirt. Washing machines are certainly becoming more efficient. However, the average American household does 400 loads of laundry per year, using about 40 gallons of water per load. Such excessive water use is combined with the large amount of energy used by dryers.
The final stage of life is disposal. This releases harmful emissions, or involves a landfill where cotton takes years to break down. Current US records show that an estimated 15% of clothes and shoes are recycled, which means that consumers send a shocking 85% of these materials to landfills.
We all need new clothes every once in a while, but let’s all try to keep in mind what goes into the production of clothing... It has a real impact on the planet.
There are a lot of things you can do to help reduce your impact. Reuse and recycle clothes. If they’re too worn out to wear, cut them up and use them as cleaning rags. Donate them to charity or another organization that recycles textiles. When possible, make an effort to buy organic cotton. Turn down the thermostat on your washer, and line dry your clothes when the weather will allow it.
1.What can be inferred from this passage?
A. The production process may affect water safety.
B. The clothing cost is relatively low in China and India.
C. Cotton clothes are buried because they are hard to break down.
D. The use stage is the least environmentally harmful of the five stages.
2.We can learn from the passage that in the US, ________.
A. pesticides in cotton farming cost over 4 billion dollars every year
B. CO2 emissions of land transport amount to 1.15 pounds per mile
C. about 15% of the clothes and shoes are made of materials that are recycled
D. about 16, 000 gallons of water is used annually by an average family on laundry
3.The underlined phrase “takes a toll” probably means “________”
A. wastes water B. has a bad effect C. uses energy D. takes a lot of time
4.What is the purpose of this article?
A. To encourage people to donate clothes to charity.
B. To introduce the five stages in the lifecycle of clothing.
C. To persuade people to purchase more organic cotton.
D. To promote eco-friendly actions related to clothes.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
YOU probably think you know about London’s problems. The people are unfriendly, it’s way too expensive, and the food is terrible - so why do so many tourists flock (蜂拥) there?
London was named the world’s most popular city between July and September 2013. It edged out other world-famous cities such as New York and Paris, welcoming 4.9 million visitors, according to the UK Office for National Statistics.
Amazingly, this was an increase of almost 19.5 percent on 2012 - the year when the Olympics happened in summer.
So can London’s success be explained? Well, maybe. As the English writer Samuel Johnson once said, “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”. London life is often crazy and expensive, but if you can think of something, you can probably do it there.
Anywhere in the city, you can often look around a great museum such as the British Museum, watch a concert at a historic venue (场所) like the Royal Albert Hall, or dance the night away in a cool nightclub such as Fabric.
And it’s not just about culture – there are also world-famous sporting venues around the city. Many tourists like to watch soccer matches at stadiums such as Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge, Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, or Tottenham’s White Hart Lane. Tourists even came to watch British tennis player Andy Murray’s famous victory at the Wimbledon tennis tournament (锦标赛) in 2013.
Yes, but what about the food? Well, even if you don’t like British food – and if you’ve never had real fish and chips, or a summer pudding, then perhaps you should wait until you’ve tried them – there is plenty of great food from all over the world available in London’s many restaurants.
London, like many of its buildings, has a long history, but also never lacks a vibrant pulse (充满活力的脉搏). All over the city, history and modernity come together to make it an essential place for tourists to discover.
1.What is the author’s main purpose in writing the article?
A. To show the effects of the 2012 London Olympics.
B. To analyze why London appeals to tourists.
C. To compare London with other world-famous cities.
D. To talk about common problems in London.
2.The underlined phrase “edged out” in the second paragraph probably means ______.
A. took the lead of
B. had a lot in common with
C. followed the example of
D. became more popular than
3.In Samuel Johnson’s eyes, life in London is probably ______.
A. relaxed B. boring
C. colorful D. challenging
4.According to the article, London is attracting many visitors from across the world, mainly because ______.
a. it is a city rich in culture and attractions
b. most local people are friendly
c. the sporting venues around the city are worthy of a visit
d. British food enjoys a good reputation among visitors
e. the city has a combination of history and modernity
A. abc B. ace
C. bcd D. bde
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Do you remember the name of your kindergarten teacher? I do,mine.Her name was Mrs. White.And I thinking she must be some older relation of Walt Disney’s Snow White, she had the same bright blue eyes,short dark hair,red lips and fair skin.
I don't remember much about what we in her class,but my mother once told me that we used to a lot. And I would bring back what I wrote and she would look at it and see there were so many .But no red corrections.And always a star.Sometimes a Good!But it my mother,so one day when she met Mrs.White at a Parent-Teacher meeting,she asked her why she never my mistakes.Why she never red-pencilled in the right of words or pointed out grammatical errors.
And Mrs.White said“The children are just beginning to get about using words,about forming sentences.I don't want to dampen that enthusiasm with ink.Spelling and grammar can wait but the wonder of words …”I grew up learning to use words with loving like that.
I now and think she must have been a rather teacher—to exercise such red-pen restraint(克制),to the joy,wonder and excitement of expression to flower— however faultily—like that,because to bloom is better than not to bloom.
I used to beautiful a lot.Never could quite remember that the e went the a.Eventually the e and a settled into their right places.I am glad I didn’t wait on them though. Pretty is easier to spell but it doesn’t hold as much as you sometimes.
And thanks to Mrs.White I felt no about writing what I meant even if I couldn’t quite spell it out.Because Life isn’t Pretty.It’s Beautiful.
1.A.regret B.remember C.consider D.suggest
2.A.because B.unless C.whether D.until
3.A.admired B.believed C.collected D.1earned
4.A.analyze B.count C.write D.eat
5.A.delays B.escapes C.exercises D.mistakes
6.A.even B.still C.ever D.never
7.A.relieved B.worried C.1imited D.mentioned
8.A.measured B.minded C.corrected D.improved
9.A.spellings B.positions C.replies D.reports
10.A.examined B.disappointed C.excited D.punished.
11.A.red B.extra C.colour D.heavy
12.A.should B.will C.mustn’t D.won’t
13.A.independence B.calmness C.knowledge D.confidence
14.A.1ook up B.1ook away C.1ook back D.1ook over
15.A.calm B.careful C.thorough D.extraordinary
16.A.allow B.arrange C.remind D.require
17.A.mistake B.misunderstand C.misspell D.misuse
18.A.before B.after C.for D.without
19.A.deserve B.mean C.obtain D.plan
20.A.wonder B.difficulty C.intention D.choice
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
--- Do you think the bright girl will soon get used to the new job?
--- It’s hard to say. Intelligence only_____ for her lack of experience in part.
A.accounts | B.compensates | C.counts | D.answers |
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
Things to Remember When You’re Having a Bad Day
Even the hardest days contain lessons that will help you be a better person. Feeling down? Consider these things to remember when you’re having a bad day.
● No one promised life would be perfect.
1.Don’t base your happiness on meeting every expectations you set for yourself. It is good to be ambitious, but you’ll never be perfect. If you expect otherwise, your life will be filled with disappointments.
● 2.
Trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit. Don’t kid yourself into thinking success will come quickly. It isn’t easy to be patient, but anything worth doing requires time.3..
● Without hard times, you wouldn’t appreciate the good ones.
Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to give up, that is strength.4.. It is hard to find much to smile about when you fail, but how else would you improve yourself? If you look at failures as a part of your growing process, you’ll stay positive and follow your goals for as long as it takes.
● It’s OK to cry sometimes.
Do not apologize for crying. Without this feeling, we are only robots. Don’t be afraid of crying.5.Instead, it is an acceptable way to let go of your depressed feelings. If you let those feelings build up without release, you’ll have a much harder time dealing with them later.
A. Don’t get sad if you lose.
B. It isn’t a sign of weakness.
C. Success doesn’t happen overnight.
D. It’s not okay to foreign now and then.
E. Don’t compare your life with others.
F. Remember: Rome was not built in a day.
G. If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content.
高三英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
If you're one of the millions of those who use escalators each year, you are probably deeply familiar with the vertical grooves(竖凹槽)that cover each stair. Few of us have stopped to consider why they exist, though. In fact, it's one of the everyday things we take for granted.
But it is a little complicating when you think about it. Sure, the deep, grey lines make an escalator's metal stairs more appealing to the eye. But regular stairs don't have grooves like these; why do escalators need them? Is it because of the movement?
It turns out those grooves serve a more functional purpose. And, yes, it does have to do with the movement, as well as with general cleanliness! Anyone who has ridden an escalator knows that the steps everlastingly circulate from the top to the bottom. You've surely noticed the ridged yellow lip at the top of the escalator. But here's what you may not have noticed: As an escalator's steps flatten, this ridge—also called the comb plate—sweeps away any trash or litter that might have fallen on the stairs. Those grooves lock the step and comb plate together, which makes it harder for any dangerous materials to slide underneath the lip. This prevents foreign objects from getting stuck in that gap, potentially causing the escalator to stop, or worse, break down completely.
That's not the only reason why the grooves were created, though. They are also a good place for water to pool together, protecting you from a bad fall on the slick surface.
So the next time you step on an escalator, take a moment to appreciate those metal grooves. They exist to make sure you get to your office meeting on time.
1.What are the first two paragraphs trying to say?
A.Millions of people use escalators every year.
B.Few people think much about the grooves.
C.Escalators are complicated machines.
D.Grooves make the stairs look better.
2.The ridge is mainly designed to____
A.clean off dangerous objects.
B. keep the stairs in movement.
C.flatten the steps.
D.lock the steps.
3.What does the underlined word "slick” mean in Paragraph 4?
A.Smooth. B.Sticky.
C.Steep. D.Slippery.
4.What's the passage mainly about?
A.The importance of escalators.
B.The reasons for grooves on stairs.
C.The look of grooves in escalators.
D.The safe ways of riding escalators.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
You’re probably aware of the basic trends. The financial rewards to education have increased over the past few decades, but men fail to benefit.
In elementary and high school, male academic performance is lagging. Boys earn three-quarters of the D’s and F’s. By college, men are clearly behind. Only 40 percent of bachelor’s degree go to men, along with 40 percent of master’s degree.
Thanks to their lower skills, men are dropping out of the labor force. In 1954, 96 percent of the American men between the ages of 25 and 54 worked. Today, that number is down to 80 percent. In Friday's jobs report, male labor force participation reached an all-time low.
Millions of men are collecting disability benefits. Even many of those who do have a job are doing poorly. According to Michael Greenstone of the Hamilton Project, annual earnings for average prime-age males have dropped by 28 percent over the past 40 years.
Men still dominate (主宰) the top of the corporate ladder because many women take time off to raise children, but women lead or are gaining nearly everywhere else. Women in their 20s outearn men in their 20s. Twelve out of the 15 fastest-growing professions are dominated by women.
Over the years, many of us have employed a certain theory to explain men's economic decline. It is that the information-age economy rewards qualities that women are more likely to possess.
To succeed today, you have to be able to sit still and focus attention in school at an early age. You have to be emotionally sensitive and aware of context. You have to communicate smoothly. For genetic and cultural reasons, many men are not good at these.
But, in her fascinating new book, The End of Men, Hanna Rosin suggests a different theory. It has to do with adaptability. Women, Rosin argues, are like immigrants (移民) who have moved to a new country. They see a new social context, and they flexibly adapt to new circumstances. Men are like immigrants who have physically moved to a new country but who have kept their minds in the old one. They speak the old language. They follow the old customs. Men are more likely to be rigid; women are more fluid.
This theory has less to do with born qualities and more to do with social position. When there’s big social change, the people who were on the top of the old order are bound to stick to the old ways. The people who were on the bottom are bound to experience a burst of energy. They are going to explore their new surroundings more enthusiastically.
Rosin reports from working-class Alabama. The women she meets are flooding into new jobs and new opportunities — going back to college, pursuing new careers. The men are waiting around for the jobs left and are never coming back. They are strangely immune (免疫的)to new options. In the Auburn-Opelika region, the average female income is 140 percent of the average male income.
Rosin is not saying that women are winners in a global gender (性别) war or that they are doing super simply because men are doing worse. She's just saying women are adapting to today’s economy more flexibly than men. There’s a lot of evidence to support her case.
A study by the National Federation of Independent Business found that small businesses owned by women outperformed male-owned small business during the last recession (衰退). In finance, women who switch firms are more likely to see their performance improve, whereas men are likely to see theirs decline. There's even evidence that women are better able to adjust to divorce. Today, more women than men see their incomes rise by 25 percent after a marital breakup.
Forty years ago, men and women stuck to certain theory, what it meant to be a man or a woman. Young women today, Rosin argues, have abandoned both feminist (女权主义者)and prefeminist preconceptions. Men still stick to the masculinity (大男子主义的)rules, which limit their vision and their movement.
If she's right, then men will have to acknowledge that they are strangers in a strange land.
1.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Male labor force participation has declined by 80% since 1954.
B. More men than women take time off to raise children now.
C. Good communication is one of the qualities that women possess.
D. Men are still taking most top and fastest-growing professions.
2.In Hanna Rosin’s opinion, male performance is falling behind because _______.
A. men are less likely to sit still and focus in school at early age
B. men are more rigid and less able to adapt to new circumstances
C. women are doing better for genetic and cultural reasons
D. it is more and more difficult for men to get bachelor’s degree
3.What is the passage intended to convey?
A. The differences between men and women.
B. The reasons why men do no better than women.
C. The social status of men and women.
D. The reasons why men fail compared with women.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Do you believe in the power of music? If you’re like most kids these days, you probably have an electronic device loaded with hundreds or even thousands of your favorite songs. At any moment in time, you can fill your headphones with the sounds of a particular song that suits your mood at that exact time.
Are you getting ready for a big soccer match or do you need to get excited? Maybe some hip hop with a strong beat will do the trick! Besides, you might be ready to study for a big exam the next day. To calm your nerves and help you concentrate, a little bit of Mozart might make memorization more manageable.
But is there any scientific evidence of these effects that music seems to have? You bet there is! Scientists have long recognized the power of music. Over the years, many studies have been conducted to examine in greater depth the nature and extent of the effects music has on people.
For example, scientists at the University of Missouri have found that listening to music can have a positive effect on your mood. Their research gives scientific credibility(可信性) to the behavior that many people have already experienced on their own: listening to upbeat music can brighten your day and boost your mood.
Other studies have shown that upbeat music isn’t the only type of music that can be helpful, however. When people are sad or have suffered a personal loss, sad music can be helpful because people identify with the tone and lyrias(歌词) of the music. Likewise, people under a lot of stress or experiencing upsetting situations can benefit from listening to angry music. Although angry music might not help you if you’re in a normal mood, its tone can benefit you when you are dealing with stressful and upsetting situations.
1.What does the author mainly show in Paragraph 1?
A. The importance of having an electronic device.
B. The great number of songs on the Internet.
C. The benefits of choosing a song suiting your mood.
D. The convenience of finding a song suiting your mood.
2.According to the passage, what is the power of Mozart?
A. Making you less active. B. Keeping you more refreshed.
C. Making you more focused. D. Keeping you better informed.
3.Which of the following best explains the underlined word “boost” in Paragraph 4?
A. Predict. B. Improve. C. Express. D. Ruin.
4.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. Only upbeat music can brighten our day.
B. People will feel sad when identifying with the lyrics.
C. Everyone can benefit from listening to angry music.
D. Different music functions differently in different situations.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析