No one can deny that buttons are an important device. Whenever we see a button, we are eager to press it because we know something will happen. This is true in most cases, for example on a doorbell and on the “on/off” button on the TV. But some buttons are actually fake, like the “close” button on a lift.
Many people are in the habit of pressing the “close” button because they don’t have the patience to wait for the lift doors to shut. But lifts’ “close” buttons are a complete scam (骗局), at least in the US - the doors will not close any faster no matter how hard you press.
It started in the 1990s when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in the US, making sure that all lifts stayed open long enough so that people with disabilities could enter. Only US firefighters and repairmen can use the buttons to speed up the door-closing process if they have a code or special keys.
But to normal lift riders, the buttons aren’t completely useless. According to psychologists, fake buttons can actually make you feel better by offering you a sense of control.
“Perceived (能够感知的) control is very important. It reduces stress and increases well-being,” Ellen J. Langer, a psychology professor, said, “ having a lack of control is associated with depression.”
Experts have revealed that a lot of buttons that don’t do anything exist in our lives for this same purpose. For example, many offices in the US have fake thermostats (温度调节器) because people tend to feel better when they think they can control the temperature in their workspace.
But psychologists found it interesting that even when people are aware of these little “white lies”, they still continue to push fake buttons because as long as the doors eventually close, it is considered to be worth the effort.
“That habit is here to stay,” John Kounios, a psychology professor, said. “Even though I have real doubts about the traffic light buttons, I always press them. After all, I’ve got nothing else to do while waiting. So why not press the button in the hope that this one will work?”
1.What was the author’s main purpose in writing the article?
A. To explore people’s different habits when it comes to pushing buttons.
B. To describe some different kinds of fake buttons.
C. To explain the advantages and disadvantages of fake buttons.
D. To analyze the functions of fake buttons.
2.In America, the “close” buttons on lifts _______.
A. are fake for the convenience of disabled people
B. work only when people press them hard for a while
C. were specially designed to give people a sense of control
D. cannot speed up the process of closing the door in any case
3.The underlined part “for this same purpose” in Paragraph 6 refers to _______.
A. making people more patient
B. giving people perceived control
C. helping people to build up confidence
D. making people with depression feel better
4.According to John Kounios, people who press fake buttons ______.
A. should give up this habit
B. consider what they do to be meaningless
C. probably do so to kill time
D. don’t know that what they press is fake
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
No one can deny that buttons are an important device. Whenever we see a button, we are eager to press it because we know something will happen. This is true in most cases, for example on a doorbell and on the “on/off” button on the TV. But some buttons are actually fake, like the “close” button on a lift.
Many people are in the habit of pressing the “close” button because they don’t have the patience to wait for the lift doors to shut. But lifts’ “close” buttons are a complete scam (骗局), at least in the US - the doors will not close any faster no matter how hard you press.
It started in the 1990s when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in the US, making sure that all lifts stayed open long enough so that people with disabilities could enter. Only US firefighters and repairmen can use the buttons to speed up the door-closing process if they have a code or special keys.
But to normal lift riders, the buttons aren’t completely useless. According to psychologists, fake buttons can actually make you feel better by offering you a sense of control.
“Perceived (能够感知的) control is very important. It reduces stress and increases well-being,” Ellen J. Langer, a psychology professor, said, “ having a lack of control is associated with depression.”
Experts have revealed that a lot of buttons that don’t do anything exist in our lives for this same purpose. For example, many offices in the US have fake thermostats (温度调节器) because people tend to feel better when they think they can control the temperature in their workspace.
But psychologists found it interesting that even when people are aware of these little “white lies”, they still continue to push fake buttons because as long as the doors eventually close, it is considered to be worth the effort.
“That habit is here to stay,” John Kounios, a psychology professor, said. “Even though I have real doubts about the traffic light buttons, I always press them. After all, I’ve got nothing else to do while waiting. So why not press the button in the hope that this one will work?”
1.What was the author’s main purpose in writing the article?
A. To explore people’s different habits when it comes to pushing buttons.
B. To describe some different kinds of fake buttons.
C. To explain the advantages and disadvantages of fake buttons.
D. To analyze the functions of fake buttons.
2.In America, the “close” buttons on lifts _______.
A. are fake for the convenience of disabled people
B. work only when people press them hard for a while
C. were specially designed to give people a sense of control
D. cannot speed up the process of closing the door in any case
3.The underlined part “for this same purpose” in Paragraph 6 refers to _______.
A. making people more patient
B. giving people perceived control
C. helping people to build up confidence
D. making people with depression feel better
4.According to John Kounios, people who press fake buttons ______.
A. should give up this habit
B. consider what they do to be meaningless
C. probably do so to kill time
D. don’t know that what they press is fake
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
We can’t deny that trees are useful to man in three very important ways: they provide him with wood and other products, they give him shade, and they help to prevent drought and floods.
Unfortunately, in many parts of the world man has not realized that the third of these services is the most important. In his eagerness to draw quick profit from the trees, he has cut them down in large numbers, only to find that without them he has lost the best friends he had.
Two thousand years ago a rich and powerful country cut down its trees to build warships, with which to gain itself an empire. It gained the empire but, without its trees, its soil became hard and poor. When the empire fell to pieces, the country found itself faced by floods and starvation.
Even though a government realizes the importance of a plentiful supply of trees, it is difficult for it to persuade the villager to see this. The villager wants wood to cook his food, and he can earn money by making charcoal or selling wood to the townsman. He is usually too lazy or too careless to plant and look after trees. So unless the government has a good system of control, or can educate the people, the forests will slowly disappear.
This does not only mean that the villagers’ sons and grandsons have fewer trees. The results are even more serious. For where there are trees ,their roots break the soil up, allowing the rain to sink in and also bind the soil, thus preventing it being washed away easily, but where there are no trees, the soil becomes hard and poor. The rain falls on hard ground and flows away on the surface, causing floods and carrying away the rich topsoil, in which crops grow so well. When all the topsoil is gone, nothing remains but worthless desert.
1.It’s a great pity that ________.
A. man is only interested in building empires
B. man is eager to profit from trees
C. man hasn’t realized the importance of trees to him
D. man hasn’t found out that he has lost all trees
2.Sooner or later the forests will disappear______
A. unless people are taught the importance of planting trees
B. unless people stop cutting down their trees
C. unless a county has a plenty supply of trees
D. unless the government punishes those who cut trees instead of planting trees
3.The word “bind” in Paragraph 5 means”_________”
A. to make stay together B. to make wet
C. to wash away D. to improve
4.When there is a heavy rain ,trees can help to prevent floods, as they can ___________
A. keep rain from falling down to soft ground
B. cause the soil to allow rainwater to sink in
C. prevent the soil from being washed away
D. make the topsoil stick together
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
No one can deny that it is ______ that many more residents could have been injured if the building had fallen at midnight.
A. particular B. curious C. likely D. fortunate
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Robots industry is developing so rapidly that there is no denying that we may one day find ourselves surrounded by robots.
The humanoid (human like) robots with two legs such as Honda Motor Co. Ltd’s ASIMO would likely have an easier time climbing up stairs inside homes than a robot that moves on wheels, developers say.
But it will be some time before such devices make their way into people’s homes.
“They may look smart, but they are still quite stupid,” Shimoyama said. “I don’t think they will ever be as smart as humans.”
While safety is an obvious concern, robots also need to be sensitive to people’s needs.
Researchers at Fujitsu Frontech Ltd and Fujitsu Laboratories responsible for developing “Enon”, a guide and patrol (巡逻) robot designed for use in shopping malls and corporate facilities (公共场所), are working on this.
Enon, which has a humanoid upper body but no legs, is equipped with a touch screen on its chest and space in its stomach to carry loads weighting up to 10 kg.
In guide mode, it will check a newcomer and approach the person with a nod and a greeting: “Are you a visitor? Hello.”
Visitors requiring directions can point to icons (图标) displayed on Enon’s chest screen. If the restroom icon is pressed, the screen will display a map that shows the way.
The robot will then face and point in the direction of the restroom, although it won’t actually walk the visitor there.
Enon is now in use at four locations in Japan, including a shopping mall near Tokyo. The main goal is to make it more helpful for the elderly.
“People who work in the transportation sector often ask whether we can build a robot that will find elderly people who look lost in train stations, and ask them if they are all right,” said Toshihido Marita, director of Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd’s autonomous system laboratory. “Actually that is hard to do, very hard,” he said.
1.The advantage of Honda Motor Co. Ltd’s ASIMO is that _________.
A. it can do any housework for us
B. it can talk with patients or old people
C. it can climb up stairs as humans
D. it can walk smoothly with its wheels
2. According to Shimoyama, robots _________.
A. can be made to do everything humans do
B. will be made as smart as humans in the future
C. will remain as stupid as before
D. can never compete with humans in intelligence
3.Most important of all, a robot should be made _________ at present.
A. safe and elegant B. safe and functional
C. elegant and cheap D. sensitive and cheap
4.Which of the following statements about “Enon” is NOT true?
A. It can be used as a guide in hospitals.
B. It can help shoppers carry goods selected.
C. It can be used to welcome guests in restaurants.
D. It can be used to stop thieves in malls.
5.Enon is mainly designed to help _________.
A. old people B. mall owners C. tourists or newcomers D. shoppers
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
There is no denying the fact that as one grows older, one’s memory __________.
A. refuses B. declines C. decreases D. Falls
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Friends are important to children.Research shows that children who have no friends can suffer from difficulties later in life.Friendship provides children with more than just fun.In making friends,children learn how to get in touch with others and solve problems.Having friends even does good to children for they can help each other during class.
If the parents are concerned about whether their children make many friends,what matters is that the child is comfortable and happy with his friends.Parents need to understand the steps children take in building friendships.First of all,be a friend to your child.Good friendships start at home.Children begin to develop the necessary ability to go out and meet others through getting along with their parents. Greet the child warmly and let him know you are glad to see him.Children learn a lot from how their parents stay with them and other people.
Teach children how to solve conflicts(争端).Being able to work out conflicts is an important skill in getting along with others.If parents know the children have a conflict,let them work it out on their own.Only step in if it is really necessary,for example,an argument is getting physical.
Give children chances to practice staying together.Have children play games that require cooperation. For example,races are fun and provide plenty of practice in teamwork.“In what ways didn’t you work well together? What might you do differently next time?” For these ideas,see books such as Games Book by Telly Orlick and Team—Building by Alanna Jones.
Encourage children to show thanks to others.The parents can encourage children to do this by setting the example for them.
56.According to the article,if one child has no friend,he will________.
A.have some trouble in the future B.worry about everything in the future
C. not know the importance of making friends D.not find anybody to help him
57.Friendship can be helpful to the children EXCEPT_________.
A.providing a lot of fun B.getting in touch with others
C. solving the problems D.helping to cheat in the exams
58.When the children disagree with each other,the parents should_______.
A.1et them fight with each other until they find who is the winner
B.do nothing to the children and believe in their abilities
C.1et them work it out by themselves and help if necessary
D. talk with them and try to find good ways to stay together
59.From the text.we can know a good friend should know how to________.
A.fall in love with each other B.show thanks to others
C. exchange their presents D.ignore their differences
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
There is no denying that some people live to be older than others. Followed are the standard explanations: keeping a moderate diet, engaging in regular exercise, etc. But what effect does your personality have on your longevity (长寿)? Are there any kinds of personalities contributing to longer lives? A new study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society looked at these questions by examining the personality characteristics of 246 children of people who had lived to be at least 100.
According to the study, those who live the longest are more outgoing, more active and less neurotic(神经质的)than other people. Long-living women are also more likely to be sympathetic and cooperative than women with a normal life span. These findings are in agreement with what you would expect from the evolutionary theory: those who like to make friends and help others can gather enough resources to make it through tough times.
Interestingly, however, other characteristics that you might consider advantageous had no impact on whether study participants were likely to live longer. Those who were more self-disciplined, for instance, were no more likely to live to be very old. Also, being open to new ideas had no relationship to long life, which might explain all those bad-tempered old people who are fixed in their ways.
Whether you can successfully change your personality as an adult is the subject of a longstanding psychological debate. But the new paper suggests that if you want long life, you should strive to be as outgoing as possible.
Unfortunately, another recent study shows that your mother's personality may also help determine your longevity. That study looked at nearly 28, 000 Norwegian mothers and found that those moms who were more anxious, depressed and angry were more likely to feed their kids unhealthy diets. Patterns of childhood eating can be hard to break when we're adults, which may mean that kids of depressed moms end up dying younger.
Personality isn't destiny, and everyone knows that individuals can learn to change. But both studies show that long life isn't just a matter of your physical health but of your mental health.
1.The purpose of the study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society is .
A. to see whether people’s personality affects their life span
B. to find out if one’s lifestyle has any effect on their health
C. to investigate the role of exercise in living a long life
D. to examine all the factors contributing to longevity
2.What does the author imply about outgoing and sympathetic people?
A. They have a good understanding of evolution. B. They are better at negotiating an agreement.
C. They are more likely to get over hardship. D. They generally appear more resourceful.
3.What finding of the study might prove somewhat out of our expectation?
A. Easy-going people can also live a relatively long life.
B. Such characteristics as self-discipline have no effect on longevity.
C. Advantageous personality characteristics actually vary with times.
D. Readiness to accept new ideas helps one enjoy longevity.
4.What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Anger and depression cut one’s life span short. B. Health is in large part related to one’s lifestyle.
C. Personality plays a decisive role in longevity. D. Longevity results from mental and physical health
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
There is an old saying about volunteer work that goes like this: "No one can do everything, but everyone can do something."
Today, many people volunteer their time and energy to help others. There are a lot of ways to meet other people's needs, and it seems there is a volunteer group for everything. Some provide education, while others offer adventure. Many do both. For example, some volunteers provide emergency help after a catastrophic event or disaster. Others are happy to get dirty while repairing homes or planting trees or flowers in poor neighborhoods. Young people see suffering and loneliness around them and find ways to help. And history lovers help archeologists search for ancient objects to help deepen knowledge of the past.
The volunteers also work in many areas around the world, including Haiti. More than two years have passed since a seven point zero earthquake shook the nation. The exact number of people who died may never be known. Estimates gave numbers from ninety five thousand to more than three hundred thousand.
Thousands of survivors of the Haitian earthquake still live in temporary shelters. Last year, former American President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn joined five hundred Habitat volunteers in the town of Leogane to build houses.
Organizations do not have to be large to get volunteers. An activist group in Dharamsala, India is a good example. Jodie Underhill from England arrived in northern India several years ago. She planned to volunteer for an environmental project. She found a lot to do there. She could hardly believe how much garbage was ruining some of the area's most beautiful sights. Miss Underhill learned about _______________________ while taking part in other volunteer projects. But soon enough she formed her own group, Mountain Cleaners. Miss Underhill says the work is very hard and the Indian media started calling her "Garbage Girl." But she says she was pleased with the name.
1.What does the passage mainly talk about? (no more than 8 words)
_____________________________________________________________
2.What does the underlined word “both” (Line 3, paragraph 2) probably refer to? (no more than 3 words)
_____________________________________________________________
3.What did former American President Jimmy Carter do as a volunteer? (no more than 8 words)
_____________________________________________________________
4.Fill in the blank in paragraph 4 with proper words. (no more than 5 words)
Miss Underhill learned about __________________ while taking part in other volunteer projects.
5.What kind of volunteer jobs do you want to join? And why? (no more than 20 words)
_____________________________________________________________
高二英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析
Flying devices called drones(无人机) may be one of the most important technologies of the future.
The number of jobs for people who know how to design, build and control them is increasing. Because of this increase, several U.S. universities have started offering degrees in unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS.
One of these universities is the University of Washington in Seattle. Ward Handley is seeking a master’s degree in UAS at the university. When the drone program first began, he did not think it was a good idea. “Drones can be used to invade privacy(侵犯隐私).” He said. But later, Handley changed his opinion. He said, “I think there are good enough purposes for them.”
The FAA (the part of the U.S. government that controls air travel and traffic) is creating new rules to control the use of drones, however. A new law requires drone owners to register(登记) their drones. People who do not register their drones could face fines of up to US$20,000.
The new rules may also present problems for students. One problem is finding a legal place to fly.
Students at Blue Mountain Community College fly inside the college gym. In Seattle, University of Washington students test their drones in a big room.
Christopher Lum, a scientist at the University of Washington, helps students explore how drones can safely share the sky with regular aircraft. Lum explained why they test drones inside a building, “We need to register our aircraft and get permission to fly outside. That process can take months.”
At this time, Kansas State University is the only school with permission to offer unmanned aircraft flight classes to students outside. The FAA selected Kansas State University and 15 other universities to be part of a national research group.
Lum and some of his students recently moved their research to Australia. Australia has fewer rules limiting drones. A professor at Western Washington University also took his department’s drones to Canada for the same reason.
1.Degrees in UAS were created in several U.S. universities because of ________.
A. the increasing interest in the field
B. the increasing employment opportunities
C. the support from the government
D. the development of this technology
2.Why didn’t Handley think the drone program was a good idea at first?
A. Drones can be used for bad purposes.
B. The use of drones was very limited.
C. Few people can benefit from the program.
D. The university didn’t attach great importance to the program.
3.According to Lum, why does he teach flight classes inside a building?
A. It’s safer for the students.
B. It’s very expensive to register the aircraft.
C. It takes a very long time to get official permission.
D. He hasn’t got permission from the university.
4.What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?
A. Australia is promoting the use of drones.
B. Kansas State University is the first to offer a UAS degree.
C. Australia has fewer rules than Canada to control the use of drones.
D. The U.S. has more rules than Canada to control the use of drones.
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Research has shown that music has an important effect on one’s body and psyche (心灵). In fact, there is a growing field of health care known as music therapy, which uses music to treat diseases. Even hospitals are beginning to use music therapy. This is not surprising, as music affects the body and mind in many powerful ways.
Research has shown that quick music can make a person feel more alert, while slow music can produce a calm, deep thinking state. Also, research has found that music can change brainwave activity levels. This can help the brain to change speeds more easily on its own as needed, which means that music can bring lasting benefits to your state of mind, even after you’ve stopped listening.
Breathing and heart rates can also be influenced by music. This can mean slower breathing, slower heart rate. This is why music and music therapy can help reduce the damaging effects of long-term stress, greatly promoting (促进) not only relaxation, but health.
Music can also be used to bring about a more positive state of mind by helping to keep worries at bay. Music has also been found to bring many other benefits, such as lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of strokes. It is no surprise that so many people are considering music as an important tool to help the body become or stay healthy.
1.What can we infer about music therapy?
A. It is a type of music.
B. It is a research about music.
C. It is a kind of musical effect on diseases.
D. It is the use of music method to help treat diseases.
2.The reason why music can help deal with stress is that ________.
A. it is used by many hospitals
B. it can help change brainwaves
C. it does good to breathing and heart rates
D. it can bring a more positive state of mind
3.According to the passage, music can help deal with all the following EXCEPT ________.
A. nervousness B. mind illnesses
C. strokes D. high blood pressure
4.The passage is mainly about _________.
A. the importance of music therapy
B. benefits music can bring
C. research on the effect of music
D. diseases music can help heal
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析