Most people know that a wedding ring is symbolic of the bond of love and commitment between two people. But not everyone knows about the history behind this small yet powerful symbol. The history of the wedding ring goes back not just hundreds but thousands of years. No other currently practiced wedding tradition has been around as long.
The Egyptians were the first recorded civilization to use the wedding ring. In Egyptian hieroglyphics(象形文字), a circle represented eternity because there's no beginning and no end. Once a woman accepted the ring she became the “property” of the person who gave it to her and she was in a sense “his”. The first wedding ring could have been made of braided grass or hay (which would have been changed often), ivory, bone, or leather. Eventually, metal was used, but the first wedding bands were in the completely natural state and rough. However, the wedding rings always expressed the same eternal and lasting love.
The Egyptians wore the wedding ring on the left hand because it was believed that a vein(静脉) in the left hand went straight to the heart. This tradition is still commonly practiced today in most parts of the world largely for practical purposes(most people are right handed). It is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. But there are some countries and groups which do not follow this tradition. In the Jewish faith, the wedding ring is put on the index finger. Roman Catholics traditionally wore their wedding band on the right hand, and in many countries and regions in Europe some people still follow this tradition.
It is interesting to note that in the long history of the wedding ring, it is only in the last century that men began to wear them. However, now both men and women show their love and commitment by exchanging rings on their wedding day.
Once you begin shopping for rings you may be amazed by the choices that await you. There are several different types of metals: traditional gold, white gold, platinum, and titanium. You can have an inscription put on the inside of the band if you like. Some people are even choosing a tattoo band. The styles vary from a simple yet elegant band to an elaborate (精巧的) ring covered with jewels. If you do not buy the wedding and engagement rings as a set, you will want to be sure the styles can match perfectly. Choose carefully because this choice will need to stand the test of eternity.
1. What’s the best title for this passage?
A. History of rings. B. Interesting facts about rings.
C. Different beliefs about rings. D. The meaning of the rings.
2. What may the word “eternity” in paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. Elegance B. Marriage C. Wedding D. Foreverness
3. Which is NOT true according to the passage?
A. The meaning of the rings remained unchanged.
B. Jewish are so faithful to their beliefs to wear rings on the fourth finger.
C. One should be careful of choosing a ring in a shop from different kinds.
D. Now most people in the world still follow Roman Catholics traditionally.
4. What can we infer from the passage?
A. Men were looked down upon by women for thousands years.
B. Only women have the right to make themselves beautiful.
C. Women wore rings thousands of years earlier than men.
D. You can have an inscription put on the inside the band.
高二英语阅读理解简单题
Most people know that a wedding ring is symbolic of the bond of love and commitment between two people. But not everyone knows about the history behind this small yet powerful symbol. The history of the wedding ring goes back not just hundreds but thousands of years. No other currently practiced wedding tradition has been around as long.
The Egyptians were the first recorded civilization to use the wedding ring. In Egyptian hieroglyphics(象形文字), a circle represented eternity because there's no beginning and no end. Once a woman accepted the ring she became the “property” of the person who gave it to her and she was in a sense “his”. The first wedding ring could have been made of braided grass or hay (which would have been changed often), ivory, bone, or leather. Eventually, metal was used, but the first wedding bands were in the completely natural state and rough. However, the wedding rings always expressed the same eternal and lasting love.
The Egyptians wore the wedding ring on the left hand because it was believed that a vein(静脉) in the left hand went straight to the heart. This tradition is still commonly practiced today in most parts of the world largely for practical purposes(most people are right handed). It is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. But there are some countries and groups which do not follow this tradition. In the Jewish faith, the wedding ring is put on the index finger. Roman Catholics traditionally wore their wedding band on the right hand, and in many countries and regions in Europe some people still follow this tradition.
It is interesting to note that in the long history of the wedding ring, it is only in the last century that men began to wear them. However, now both men and women show their love and commitment by exchanging rings on their wedding day.
Once you begin shopping for rings you may be amazed by the choices that await you. There are several different types of metals: traditional gold, white gold, platinum, and titanium. You can have an inscription put on the inside of the band if you like. Some people are even choosing a tattoo band. The styles vary from a simple yet elegant band to an elaborate (精巧的) ring covered with jewels. If you do not buy the wedding and engagement rings as a set, you will want to be sure the styles can match perfectly. Choose carefully because this choice will need to stand the test of eternity.
1. What’s the best title for this passage?
A. History of rings. B. Interesting facts about rings.
C. Different beliefs about rings. D. The meaning of the rings.
2. What may the word “eternity” in paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. Elegance B. Marriage C. Wedding D. Foreverness
3. Which is NOT true according to the passage?
A. The meaning of the rings remained unchanged.
B. Jewish are so faithful to their beliefs to wear rings on the fourth finger.
C. One should be careful of choosing a ring in a shop from different kinds.
D. Now most people in the world still follow Roman Catholics traditionally.
4. What can we infer from the passage?
A. Men were looked down upon by women for thousands years.
B. Only women have the right to make themselves beautiful.
C. Women wore rings thousands of years earlier than men.
D. You can have an inscription put on the inside the band.
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
John invited about 40 people to his wedding, most of ______ are family members.
A. them B. that C. which D. Whom
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
One of the most striking findings of a recent questionnaire in the UK is that of the people interviewed, one in two believes that it is becoming more difficult to meet someone to start a family with.
Why are many people finding it increasingly difficult to start and keep close relationships? Does modern life really make it harder to fall in love? Or are we making it harder for ourselves?
It is certainly the case today that nowadays couples benefit in different ways from relationships. Women no longer rely upon partners for economic security or status. A man doesn’t expect his wife to be in sole (唯一的) charge of running his household and raising his children.
But perhaps the knowledge that we can live perfectly well without a partnership means that it takes much more to persuade people to abandon their independence.
In theory, finding a partner should be much simpler these days. Only a few generations ago,your choice of soul mate was limited by geography, social convention and family tradition. Although it was never clear, many marriages were essentially arranged. Now those barriers have been broken down. You can approach a builder or a brain surgeon in any bar in any city on any given evening. When the world is your oyster(牡蛎), you surely have a better chance of finding a pearl.
But it seems that the traditions have been replaced by an even tighter restriction:the limitation of choice. The expectations of partners are made greater to an unmanageable degree:good looks, impressive salary, kind to grandmother, and so on. There is no room for error in the first impression.
We think that a relationship can be perfect. If it isn’t,it is intended to be thrown away. We work to protect ourselves against future heartache and don’t put in the hard emotional labor needed to build a strong relationship. Twelve-hour work at the office makes relaxed after-hours dating(约会) difficult. The cost of housing and child-raising creates pressure to have a stable(稳定的) income and career before a life partnership.
1. Nowadays, in a family, _________.
A. men begin to depend on women
B. couples share the burdens
C. men are responsible for housework
D. couples can’t get along together
2. People don’t want to give up their independence because______.
A. they can’t bear arranged marriages
B. they want to have more choices
C. they don’t want to follow traditions
D. they think they can live happily alone
3. People don’t bother to date because_______.
A. it requires luck to build a strong relationship
B. it takes them too much energy to work
C. it needs faith to have a life partnership
D. it causes mental problems to find a life partner
4. Which of the following can best describe the main idea of the passage?
A. The expectations of partners and financial pressure may prevent a relationship.
B. People should spend more money on marriage today.
C. Independence is much more important than love.
D. Even a perfect marriage can be given up for the sake of independence.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
To be a real gentleman, you should know that true forgiveness is one of the most remarkable qualities a human can possess!
In the fighting between two countries in the 1970s, a young man was walking from one village to the next when he was by an armed guerrilla fighter from the enemy country.The fighter the young man down the hill where he was to be .
But a(n) thing happened. The young man, who had military training, was able to disarm the fighter.Now, the table was and it was the fighter who was ordered down the hill.
As they walked, , the young man began to reflect on what was happening.Recalling the of his mother, "Love your enemies; do good to those who you." He found he could go no farther.
He 10 the gun into the bushes, told the fighter he was to go and turned back the hill.
Minutes later, he heard footsteps53 behind him as he walked."Is this the end after all?" he . Perhaps the fighter had got the gun and wanted to finish him off.But he continued on, glancing back, until his enemy reached him, only to grab him in a hug and pour out for sparing his life.
Mercy often wears the face of .And though it usually isn't an enemy in uniform-that we are challenged to forgive, we have for mercy every day. Family members and friends, co-workers and neighbors and even strangers have for our forgiveness. You know who they are.
As Mahatma Gandhi said, "The can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. " Be strong. Forgive.
1.A.shot B.murdered C.killed D.caught
2.A.demanded B.reminded C.ordered D.required
3.A.beaten B.shot C.accepted D.driven
4.A.amazing B.frightening C.inspiring D.confusing
5.A.watched B.received C.accepted D.suggested
6.A.turned B.covered C.moved D.repaired
7.A.thus B.indeed C.therefore D.however
8.A.expressions B.plans C.words D.signals
9.A.forgive B.hate C.instruct D.help
10.A.packed B.dragged C.forced D.threw
11.A.free B.slow C.nervous D.eager
12.A.for B.into C.up D.down
13.A.showing B.waving C.running D.jumping
14.A.shouted B.counted C.wondered D.argued
15.A.seldom B.never C.always D.sometimes
16.A.marks B.favors C.thanks D.reasons
17.A.awareness B.kindness C.safeness D.forgiveness
18.A.opportunities B.explanations C.hopes D.lessons
19.A.need B.responsibility C.patience D.energy
20.A.lonely B.weak C.healthy D.calm
高二英语完型填空困难题查看答案及解析
Most people think that the capital of the movie world is Hollyhood, in the United States. However, the real movie capital is Mumbai, in India. Mumbai used to be known as Bombay, and so the film industry there is called “Bollywood.” Bollywood makes twice as many movies each year as Hollyhood—more than 800 films a year.
The movies from Bollywood are very different from Hollywood movies. For one thing, Bollywood movies are much longer than most Hollywood movies. Most Bollywood movies are more than three hours long, and contain singing, dancing, action, adventure, mystery, and romance (but usually no kissing). Because Bollywood films contain so many different features, this style of film is sometimes called a “masala” film. (“Masala” is an Indian word for a mixture of spices.)
Another big difference between Bollywood and Hollywood movies is the way movies are made. It takes much longer to make a movie in Hollywood than in Bollywood. In fact, filming may begin on a Bollywood movie before the script even finished. The director and writers can make up the story while the film is being made. Sometimes they will even write the script by hand instead of taking time to type it.
Bollywood actors are very popular and some are in such high demand that they may work on several movies at the same time. They may even shoot scenes for several films on the same day using the same costumes and scenery. Since most Bollywood movies follow the same kind of story, shooting scenes for several films at the same time is not a big problem for actors or directors. This also helps keep the cost of Bollywood movies lower than the cost of Hollywood movies. The average Bollywood film, with a budget of only two million U.S. dollars, seems very cheap compared to the average budget of sixty million U.S. dollars for a Hollywood film—thirty times as much!
1.What is the main topic of the reading?
A. famous stars in Bollywood B. how Hollywood movies are made
C. the differences between two movie industries D. the history of movie-making in India
2.What is NOT true about Mumbai?
A. It is the movie capital of India.
B. The new name is Bombay.
C. More movies are made there than in Hollywood.
D. It is less expensive to make films there than in Hollywood.
3. Why are Bollywood films often called “masala” films?
A. They have spicy stories. B. They show Indian culture.
C. They are much longer than Hollywood films. D. They mix different styles of movies.
4. Bollywood movies are cheap to make because ____________________ .
A. they are shorter than Hollywood films.
B. the scripts are written by hand.
C. the movies do not use any special effects.
D. each movie reuses things from other movies.
5.Which of these statements would the writer probably agree with?
A. Most Bollywood movies are very similar.
B. It takes a lot of money to make a good movie.
C. Only Indian people can understand Bollywood movies.
D. Hollywood movies are too violent.
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
For most city people, the elevator is an unremarkable machine that inspires none of the enthusiasm or interest that Americans afford trains, jets, and even bicycles. Dr. Christopher Wilk is a member of a small group of elevator experts who consider this a misunderstanding. Without the elevator, they point out, there could be no downtown skyscrapers or tall buildings, and city life as we know it would be impossible. In that sense, they argue, the elevator’s role in American history has been no less significant than that of cars. In fact, according to Wilk, the car and the elevator have been locked in a “secret war” for over a century, with cars making it possible for people to spread horizontally(水平地), and elevators pushing them toward life in close groups of towering vertical (垂直的) columns.
If we tend to ignore the significance of elevators, it might be because riding in them tends to be such a brief, boring, and even awkward experience one that can involve unexpectedly meeting people with whom we have nothing in common, and an unpleasant awareness of the fact that we’re hanging from a cable in a long passage.
In a new book, Lifted, German journalist and cultural studies professor Andreas Bernard directed all his attention to this experience, studying the origins of elevator and its relationship to humankind and finding that riding in an elevator has never been a totally comfortable experience. “After 150 years, we are still not used to it, ”Bernard said. “We still have not exactly learned to cope with the mixture of closeness and displeasure.” That mixture, according to Bernard, sets the elevator ride apart from just about every other situation we find ourselves in as we go about our lives.
Today, as the world’s urban population explodes, and cities become more crowded, taller, and more crowded, America’s total number of elevators—900,000 at last count, according to Elevator World magazine’s “2012 Vertical Transportation Industry”—are a force that’s becoming more important than ever. And for the people who really, really love them, it seems like high time that we looked seriously at just what kind of force they are.
1.What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 1refer to?
A. The particular interests of experts.
B. The general view of elevators.
C. The desire for a remarkable machine.
D. The enthusiasm for transport vehicles.
2.The author’s purpose in mentioning cars is .
A. to emphasize the importance of elevators
B. to contrast their functions with elevators
C. to reveal their secret war against elevators
D. to explain people’s preference for elevators
3.According to Prof. Bernard, what has made the elevator ride different from other life experiences?
A. Vertical direction.
B. Little physical space.
C. Lack of excitement.
D. Uncomfortable conditions.
4.The author urges readers to consider
A. the exact number of elevator lovers
B. the serious future situation of elevators
C. the relationship between cars and elevators
D. the role of elevators in city development
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In most people's opinion, the tiger is not an animal that we would ordinarily think of as being chicken. However, one tiger, which lives in an English zoo, turned out to be more cowardly(胆小的)than his keepers could ever have imagined.
Tanvir, a two-year-old Bengal tiger, got stuck at the top of a new 5m-high activity tower in the zoo, after climbing it for the first time.
The wooden tower had been designed to provide mental exercise for Tanvir by testing his ability of dealing with troublesome situations, but after climbing it in just a few seconds, he lost his courage when it came to coming back down. Tanvir went on to spend nearly two days at the top of the tower trying to collect the courage to attempt to get down.
A spokesperson for the zoo said that several days before Tanvir had taken half an hour to get down a lower tower only 1.5m high, and the taller tower had clearly been too much challenging for him.
"Every time he got to the edge, he looked out, put a paw over, and thought, ‘no, I cannot make it!" ’laughed Samantha Cordrey, Tanvir's keeper. In the end Tanvir's hunger defeated his fear, and after almost 48 hours he made his way down. Burying himself in a big meal just like a hungry pig, Tanvir seemed to forget such a shameful experience for a while.
It appears that his experience would not be the worst in Tanvir's life if he continued to act like a chicken. It is not known whether he will take courage to go back up his exercise tower again.
The whole episode(插曲)only serves to show the difficulties faced by zoo staff in creating environments that will improve animals' living ability in enclosed space.
1.When speaking of Tanvir's shameful experience, Samantha Cordrey might feel it was .
A. funny B. surprising C. exciting D. unbelievable
2.What made Tanvir get down the 5m-high activity tower at last?
A. The coldness of the weather. B. The direction from his keepers.
C. The sufferings of being hungry. D. The fear of being alone.
3.Why does the author say "this experience would not be the worst in Tanvir's life if..."(Paragraph 6)?
A. Because Tanvir's keepers will design more difficult exercise for him.
B. Because Tanvir is so cowardly that he has little courage to meet greater challenges.
C. Because Tanvir's bad health will bring him much trouble in practice.
D. Because Tanvir is always careless and often causes trouble by accident.
4.The zoo designed the 5m-high activity tower to .
A. make Tanvir become brave B. improve Tanvir's performance skills
C. let tourists watch Tanvir better D. improve Tanvir's living ability
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
One of the most popular and enduring myths about depression is that depressed people are sad all the time—and that by extension, people who are happy can’t be experiencing depression, even if they say they are. It is a mistaken version of depression. Depression doesn’t make you sad all the time.
When I’m having a depressive feeling, I’m not walking around in black clothes, and weeping. I go out with friends. I play jokes. I keep working, and have friendly chats with the people I work with. I read books. Above all, I experience moments of happiness. Yet I feel a strange conflicting pressure. On the one hand, I feel like I need to engage in a sort of sadness for people to understand that I really am depressed and that each day is a struggle for me. Because that way I will appear suitably sad, and thus, depressed—and then maybe people will recognize that I’m depressed and perhaps they’ll even offer support and assistance.
On the other hand, I feel an extreme pressure to perform just the opposite, because sad depressed people are boring and no fun, as I am continually reminded every time I speak openly about depression or express feelings of sadness and frustration. I’m caught in a trap where if I don’t perform sadness, I’m not really depressed, but if I express sadness at all to any degree, I’m annoying and boring and should stop being so self-centered. Depression can become your master, but you can slip out from under it occasionally. And many depressed people don’t actually spend it fainting dramatically on the couch and talking about how miserable they are.
1.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Sad people are always depressed.
B. Depressed people are sad all the time.
C. Happy people will never feel depressed.
D. Depressed people do not always feel sad.
2.When feeling depressed, the writer usually avoids ________.
A. expressing sad feelings straight
B. going out with friends and relatives
C. having friendly chats with colleagues
D. experiencing moments of happiness
3.What’s the writer’s attitude to being sad and depressed?
A. Positive. B. Negative. C. Indifferent. D. Cold.
4.In the passage, the writer advises depressed people to ________.
A. speak openly about depression
B. hide the depression in the heart and never express it
C. be optimistic and become the master of depression
D. lie on the couch and talk about how depressed they are
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
One of the qualities that most people admire in others is the willingness to admit one's mistakes. It is extremely hard sometimes to say a simple thing like“I was wrong about that,” and it is even harder to say,“I was wrong, and you were right about that.”
I had an experience recently with someone admitting to me that he had made a mistake fifteen years ago. He told me he had been the manager of a certain store in the neighborhood where I grew up, and he asked me if I remembered the egg cartons (in many countries, eggs are sold by the dozen and are put in cartons.) Then he related an incident (event, matter) and I began to remember unclearly the incident he was describing.
I was about eight years old at the time. I went into the store with my mother to do some shopping. On that particular day, I must have found my way to the food department where the incident took place.
There must have been a special sale on eggs that day because there were lots of eggs in dozen and half-dozen cartons. The cartons were put three or four feet high. I must have stopped in front of the piles of egg cartons. Just then a woman came by pushing her shopping cart and knocked off the cartons. For some reason, I decided it was up to me to put the eggs back together, so I went to work.
The manager heard the noise and came rushing over to see what had happened. When he appeared, I was on my knees looking at some of the cartons to see if any of the eggs were broken, but to him it looked as though I was the one who just did it. He severely reprimanded me and wanted me to pay for any broken eggs. I tried to explain, but it did no good. Even though I quickly forgot all about the incident, it is plain that the manager did not.
1.Which is the correct order of the following?
a. I forgot all about the incident.
b. I went into the store.
c. A woman knocked off the egg cartons.
d. I stood in front of the egg cartons.
e. The manager reminded me of the incident.
f. The manager didn't believe my explanation.
g. I picked up the unbroken eggs.
A. b; d; g; c; a; f; e B. b; d; c; g; f; e; a
C. b; c; d ;g; e; f; a D. b; d; c; g; f; a; e
2.The word “reprimanded” in the last paragraph most exactly means “_________ ”.
A. frightened B. scolded
C. warned D. comforted
3.The best title for this passage should be________ .
A. A Case of Mistake B. The Manager I Never Forget
C. The Manager and I D. An Incident 15 Years Ago
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
People are overweight for many reasons, the most important one of which is that they eat the wrong foods, get the wrong types ofcalories per meal, and they also eat meals at the wrong time each day. Food is more powerful than any weight loss pill, because the food that you eat can either make you thin or fat. This is true because your body is like an engine, and it only needs certain foods at certainintervals(间隔) each day.
Low-calorie Diets Do Not Work
The reason people cannot lose weight by starving themselves is that their metabolism(新陈代谢) will detect any major drop in calories and it will then adjust itself by burning fewer calories each day. That is the reason why you can eat 1,000 calories per day and not lose any weight, while your friends can eat 2,500 calories per day and not gain any weight.
Low-fat Diets Do Not Work
Many people in today’s society are buying mostly low-fat or non-fat food at the grocery store. Everybody knows how much fat is inside the food they buy. However, people are getting fatter than ever before by doing this. They are not losing weight by changing to this low-fat lifestyle.
Losing weight has nothing to do with these things. One of the most important things you can do to control your weight is to eat the proper foods, such as fruit and vegetables, eat them at the right time, and exercise every day. If people make this a habit, they will lose weight.
1.What is the main reason why people are overweight?
A. They burn many calories every day.
B. They eat the wrong foods at the wrong time.
C. They eat food with lots of calories.
D. They don’t take weight loss pills.
2.The article is written in order to________.
A. tell readers not to buy low-fat or non-fat food.
B.tell readers about an important scientific discovery.
C .tell readers how to lose weight.
D. call on people to lose weight and stay healthy.
3.To realize the aim of your weight loss plan, you should_________.
a. do exercise every day
b. eat meals at the right time
c. eat fruits and vegetables
d. eat low-fat or sweet food
e. eat the proper foods at each meal
A. a, b, c, e B. a, b, d, e
C. a, c, d, e D.a, b, c, d
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析