The mother of the 13-year-old Dutch girl Laur...

The mother of the 13-year-old Dutch girl Laura Dekker, whose plans to make a solo sailing trip around the world have recently made world headlines, has spoken out against the trip. “It breaks my heart to think that because of this I could lose contact with my daughter,” she said in an interview. “I have never before made such a difficult decision. But I must accept the consequences. I would rather have a live daughter who I will never see again than a dead daughter.”

It is the first time that Laura’s mother, Babs Müller, has spoken out against the trip. Laura’s parents are divorced and the girl has lived with her father since she was six. Her father Dick Dekker supports Laura’s plans. However, the Dutch Child Protection Board has decided to place the girl under supervision (监督) for two months to ascertain whether she is mentally and physically capable of undertaking the journey.

Ms Müller says she is confident that Laura is technically capable of making the journey. “She can sail like the devil. That’s not the problem.” However, she is afraid of the problems a 13-year-old girl can encounter in the harbors of Third-World countries and of the psychological (心理上的) pressure of being alone for such a long period on the ocean. “The most important thing, in my eyes, is that she is not yet an adult.”

Ms Müller says she told Laura once before that she was opposed to the idea. Her daughter replied, “If you forbid me, you will have ruined my entire life. Then I’ll never want to see you again.” However, Laura’s mother says that reports that a camera team is planning to follow her around the world could change her opinion about the trip.

1.Laura Dekker’s plans to sail solo around the world 　　 .

A. made her parents divorce

B. have attracted wide attention

C. made her father unhappy

D. were a difficult decision to make

2.It can be inferred that Laura Dekker and her mother 　　 .

A. are angry with Dick Dekker

B. had a quarrel

C. lost touch with each other

D. are all good sailors

3. We can learn that the Dutch Child Protection Board 　　 .

A. will train Laura for two months

B. will help Laura realize her dream

C. cares about Laura’s safety

D. doesn’t believe in Laura at all

4.What does the underlined part “opposed to” mean?

A. Against. 　 B. Shocked by.

C. Beyond. 　　 D. Satisfied with.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

After a year of preparing herself, Laura Dekker has been given permission to sail around the world. “I was so happy that I almost jumped into the river,” Laura said, after learning of the court’s verdict(判决).

The 14-year-old was born on a ship in the South Pacific, and currently lives with her father on a boat. When child protection agencies heard about her plan to sail alone, they took the case to court and prevented her from making such a dangerous voyage.

Since the decision, though, Laura had been preparing with her father to convince the court that she was ready. Later on, she received the books and other materials she would need for school while she was at sea. She added safety equipment to a new, big ship. And she took her first aid course to learn several survival skills, like how to put out fires on the boat, take care of her own injuries and deal with lack of sleep. She also planned a safer course --- adding alternate routes(备用路径) to avoid pirate attacks, and planning a course that would have her on dry land as she moved from port to port across the globe.

Even with all of the added preparations, the trip still has its risks. In early June, 16-year-old Abby Sunderland, an American, had to abandon(放弃) her attempt to become the youngest sailor to travel around the world. Her ship’s mast(桅杆) broke due to rough waters in the Indian Ocean, and she was rescued by a French fishing ship.

Laura plans to take longer than Abby for her voyage, and is using a larger and more stable boat. If she finished successfully in less than two years, she will take the title from current record-holder Jessica Watson, of Australia, who was 16 when she completed the journey.

1.Which of the following is TRUE of Laura?

A. She prepared the voyage at the age of 12.

B. She lost her mother after she was born.

C. She was allowed to sail around the world finally.

D. She wanted to donate money made from the voyage.

2.At first, child protection agencies were against Laura’s plan because ____.

A. it was considered to be a dangerous trip

B. Laura had to finish her schooling first

C. it would cost Laura too much time and money

D. Laura wasn’t prepared for the sailing alone

3.What is Mr. Dekker’s attitude towards Laura’s trip?

A. Doubtful     B. Supportive   C. Uncertain        D. Neutral(中立的)

4.Paragraph 3 mainly talks about ____.

A. how Laura convinced the court

B. why Laura needed to study at sea

C. how Laura prepared for the voyage

D. where Laura could avoid pirate attacks

5. The person who keeps the record comes from ____.

A. Holland  B. America  C. India        D. Australia

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Annalisee Brasil, a 14-year-old girl, is one of the brightest kids of her generation. When Annalisee was 3, her mother Angi noticed that she was stringing together word cards into correct sentences. After the girl turned 6, her mother took her for an IQ text. Her IQ is above 145, placing the girl in the top 0.1% of the population. Annalisee should be the star pupil at school. She is witty and pretty, and it’s easy to imagine she would get along well at school. But Annalisee’s parents couldn’t find a school willing to take their daughter. So her mother homeschooled Annalisee.

But Angi felt something was missing in her daughter’s life. Annalisee didn’t have a rich social network of other kids. She had trouble getting along with others. She described herself as a “perfectionist” and said other students sometimes were jealous of her.

What’s needed is a new model for gifted education. That’s the idea behind the Davidson Academy of Nevada. At the academy, all the kids are skipping ahead quickly. However, the academy’s most important gift to its students is social, not academic. One of the main functions of the school is to provide a good social setting for the highly gifted.

Last year the school enrolled Annalisee, which has been good for her. She has made friends at the academy. She has also developed an interest in calculus(微积分) and biochemistry(生物化学). Socially, Annalisee is finally learning to get along with others. “It’s been interesting having to deal with that and getting used to the judgments of other kinds,” she said. “We get into arguments a lot, because we’re all really smart people with opinions, and it doesn’t always turn out that great. Sometimes I take things a little too personally.”

What is the passage mainly about?

Annalisee Brasil——the star pupil at school.

A smart girl who entered a proper school and benefited from gifted education.

A smart girl who had trouble getting along with others.

A girl who was too smart to find a suitable school.

1.The word “perfectionist” in paragraph two probably means a person who _________.

A．is smarter than others

B．is always favored by teachers

C．can do everything well and has strong demands

D．is accepted by others as a good leader

2.According to the passage, which of the following is true?

A．At the age of 3, Annalisee took an IQ test, in which she scored above 145.

B．Finding no school willing to take Annalisee, her father had to homschool her.

C．The Davidson Academy of Nevada emphasizes social gift more than academic gift.

D．After being enrolled by the academy, Annalisee enjoyed her school life without ant argument with her classmates.

3.What can you infer from the passage?

A．Annalisee has realized her problem and is gradually changing her attitude towards others.

B．One of the main functions of the gifted education is to provide a good social setting for the highly gifted.

C．Without the academy, Annalisee couldn’t have learnt so much.

D． Like Annalisee, many other smart kids also have the similar trouble.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Philip was a nine-year-old boy in a Sunday school class of 8-year-old girls and boys. Sometimes the third graders didn’t welcome Philip into their group and usually tricked him. This was not because he was older, but because he was “different”. You see, Philip suffered from a condition called Downs’s Syndrome. This made him “different”, with its facial characteristics, slow responses and mental problems.

One Sunday after Easter, the Sunday school teacher gathered some plastic eggs that pulled apart in the middle. The teacher gave one to each child. On that beautiful spring day, the children were to go out and discover for themselves some symbol of “new life” and place it inside the plastic eggs.

After the children returned to the classroom, the teacher opened their eggs one by one, asking each child to explain that symbol of “new life”. The first opened egg contained a flower. Everyone cheered. In another was a butterfly…. When the teacher opened the last egg, it was empty. “That’s stupid,” said someone. The teacher felt a pull at his shirt. It was Philip. Looking up, Philip said, “It’s mine. I did it. It’s empty. I have new life, because the tomb is empty.” Not a sound was heard in class at all. From that day on, Philip became a real part of the group. They welcomed him, and whatever made him different was never mentioned again.

Philip’s family knew he wouldn’t live a long life, for there were too many things wrong with him.

1.The underlined word “condition” in the 1^st paragraph probably means __________.

A．grade            B．status             C．health            D．disease

2.It can be inferred from the first paragraph that _______.

A．the 8-year-olds were sometimes cruel.

B．The 8-year-olds were friendly to Philip.

C．Philip was really different in school.

D．Philip was older and more sensitive.

3.The teacher gave each child one plastic egg to let them ______.

A．play around on that beautiful spring day.

B．put some symbol of “new life” into it.

C．try to pull it apart in the middle.

D．go out and discover themselves.

4.After Philip explained his new life, _________.

A．the class thought he was clever.            B．The class fell silent.

C．He began to study in the class.              D．He felt dying.

5.We learn from the passage that _________.

A．the teacher used to have classes outdoors

B．Philip was healthy as a whole.

C．The Philip’s new life wish was empty

D．Philip was accepted by his classmates in the end

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

C

Philip was a nine-year-old boy in a Sunday school class of 8-year-old girls and boys. Sometimes the third graders didn’t welcome Philip into their group and usually tricked him. This was not because he was older, but because he was “different”. You see, Philip suffered from a condition called Downs’s Syndrome. This made him “different”, with his facial characteristics, slow responses and mental problems.

One Sunday after Easter, the Sunday school teacher gathered some plastic eggs that pulled apart in the middle. The teacher gave one to each child. On that beautiful spring day, the children were to go out and discover for themselves some symbol of “new life” and place it inside the plastic(塑料）eggs.

After the children returned to the classroom, the teacher opened their eggs one by one, asking each child to explain that symbol of “new life”. The first opened egg contained a flower. Everyone cheered. In another one was a butterfly….When the teacher opened the last egg, it was empty. “That’s stupid,” said someone. The teacher felt a pull at his shirt. It was Philip. Looking up, Philip said, “It’s mine. I did it. It’s empty. I have new life, because the tomb is empty.” Not a sound was heard in class at all. From that day on, Philip became a real part of the group. They welcomed him, and whatever made him different was never mentioned again.

Philip’s family knew he wouldn’t live a long life, for there were too many things wrong with him.

1.The teacher gave each child one plastic egg to let them ________.

A．put some symbol of “new life” into it

B．play around on that beautiful spring day

C．try to pull it apart in the middle

D．go out and discover themselves

2.After Philip explained his new life, ________.

A．The class thought he was clever.            B．He began to study in the class.

C．The class fell silent.                      D．He felt dying.

3.We learn from the passage that ________.

A．The teacher used to have classes outdoors

B．Philip’s new life wish was empty

C．Philip was healthy as a whole

D．Philip was accepted by his classmates in the end

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Gabby Logan was a gymnast when she was young. She is now the 39-year-old mother of seven-year-old twins, Reuben and Lois. The other day on TV she was dressed in a new swimsuit, which was designed to show off her nice figure, which was admired by a great number of television viewers.

Gabby, who won high praise for her television show of the Olympics, has asked the woman of the whole nation to go to the swimming pool, saying the secret of her figure is regular swimming. She is also making advertisements for the new Sculpture Swimwear of Speedo, an international swimsuit company, to help women find the perfect swimsuit.

Gabby said, "We all felt uneasy about getting into our swimwear at first. But we should be excited by the sporting achievements we have seen at the Olympics this summer. To get ourselves a little healthier, have a try and go to the swimming pool. " Then she said," Swimming is the perfect exercise if you want to feel healthy or simply relax. I find that going for a swim always clears my mind and also gives me some valuable 6 my time'. I like the calm of swimming which I can't experience when I am not in the pool. "

A study by Speedo, an International company, which sells swimsuits, reported the biggest reason why women were put off going to the pool was the way they looked in swimwear. More than half of the l,000 women surveyed have been reduced to tears when trying on swimwear. And 48 percent said they felt too self-conscious to go swimming with their children. Sally Polak, from Speedo, said, " We're hoping to give women the courage and confidence to get back into the water. "

1. What can we learn about Gabby Logan?

A. She has two children of the same age.

B. She appeared on TV to show off her nice figure.

C. She was a swimmer when she was young.

D. She took part in the Olympic Games when she was young.

2.What is the main reason why Gabby has a nice figure?

A. She is a gymnast.

B. She often swims.

C. She has a peaceful mind

D. She wears Sculpture Swimwear.

3. The biggest reason why most women were stopped from swimming is _　　 .

A. their shy mind of wearing the swimsuit

B. their being too busy with their housework

C. their not being comfortable in the swimsuit

D. their being afraid of their child seeing them wear less

4.What is the author's purpose of writing the text?

A. To introduce a famous woman.

B. To discuss a TV show of the Olympics.

C. To report a way of keeping a good figure.

D. To encourage women to go swimming.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

As soon as she entered the room, the girl caught sight of the flowers ________ by her mother.

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

As soon as she entered the room, the girl caught sight of the flowers ________ by her mother.

A．buying            B．being bought       C．were bought       D．bought

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

“What are you busy with yourself, Mother?” The girl of less than six years old asked her mother　 _1.　 (curiosity). “ __ 2._　 (make) dinner for the neighbor’s aunt.”

“ Why?” “　 3.　 the other day the aunt 　 4.　　 (lose) her daughter and is so sad now. We must take good care of her these days.”“ Why need our care?” “ Because　 _ 5.　 then on the aunt can’t do 　 6.　 they like to along with her daughter. She is very pitiful. In her distress, making dinners and doing chores are also becoming so difficult. My dear, can you help Mother hit an idea to help the aunt in other ways?” At her mother’s proposal, the girl thought for a long while. All of 　　 7.　　 sudden, she went to the neighbor and knocked at the door.

The neighbor with a look of 　 8.　　 (tired) opened the door. “What can I do for you?” asked the neighbor. “I 　 9.　 (hear) my mother say you’re very distressed for losing your daughter...” The girl timidly handed the band-aid tightly 10.　 (hold) in her hand to the neighbor.

The neighbor suddenly choked with sobs, her tears gushing from her eyes. She hugged the girl and said, “ Thank you. This band-aid will cure my wound.”

高二英语语法填空简单题查看答案及解析

A couple of days ago, as the test results came out, my son and a group of his 13-year-old friends piled into the back seat of my car, ready for the last-day-of-school party at McDonald's. “Jack got a laptop for getting straight A's, and Laurie got a cell-phone,” one boy said. “Oh, yeah, and Sarah got an iPad, and she's only in third grade,” said another. “And how about Brian? He got $10 for each A.”

I suddenly became concerned. These payoffs might get parents through grammar school, but what about high school and beyond? What would be left after the electric guitar, the cell-phone, and the DVD player?

I saw the road ahead: As the homework load increased, my income would decrease. I saw my comfortable lifestyle disappear before my eyes — no more of those $5 bags of already-peeled organic carrots. No more organic anything!

I started to feel surprised and nervous. Would every goal achieved by my two children fetch a reward? A high grade point average? A good class ranking? Would sports achievements be included in this reward system: soccer goals, touchdowns? What about the orchestra? Would first chair pay more than second? I'd be penniless by eighth-grade graduation.

“We never paid anything for good grades,” said my neighbor across the street, whose son was recently accepted at MIT. “He just did it on his own. Maybe once in a while we went out for pizza, but that's about it.”

Don't you just hate that? We're all running around looking for the MP3 player with the most updates, and she’s spending a few dollars on pizza. She gets motivation; we get negotiation. And what about the primary grades? What do these students get? “When the teacher asked if anyone got rewards for good grades, everyone in my class raised their hands and said they got ice cream cones ,” said one third-grader.

1.What’s the best title for the passage?

A. Tips on Paying Kids for Good Grades

B. New changes in Paying Kids for Good Grades

C. Good Grades Mean Good Rewards

D. Don't Pay Kids for Good Grades

2.What does the underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably mean?

A. Taking care of my children would influence my work.

B. I would spend less money on my children's good grades.

C. More rewards would be needed as my children grow up.

D. Reducing my children's homework load would cost me a lot.

3.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A. if you buy children pizza as a reward, they will work harder

B. if you pay kids for good grades, they will take it for granted

C. children will not ask for rewards when they enter high school

D. good grades won't help kids make great progress in the future

4.The author takes her neighbor as an example to show _______.

A. pizza is the best way to motivate children

B. it is necessary to reward children for their good grades

C. getting rewards for good grades is common nowadays

D. rewards are not the only way to encourage children

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析