According to the ancient Greek mythology, Kin...

According to the ancient Greek mythology, King Midas might be one of the world’s earliest alchemist, who was granted by the god Dionysus the magic power to turn anything he touched into gold. Unfortunately, the king soon realized that this ability was more of a curse than of a gift as he had to suffer the loss of many of life’s real pleasures, including the taste of good food and the embrace of his beloved daughter.

While the story of the greedy Midas is meant to warn against becoming a slave to one’s desires, it also reflects our human greed for gold. This extremely attractive metal has captivated humans over thousands of years, ever since the days of the ancient Egyptians, and has been the basis of currency for many civilizations over centuries.

Today gold remains the foundation of the luxury jewellery industry and, in recent years, has become one of the most prominent materials in the production of our latest necessity --- modern electronics. Gold is used to make many of the devices we love, such as cellphones, tablets and laptops. This is due to its highly efficient electrical properties and its resistance to　 corrosion, which are unmatched by any other metal. But the manufacturing of just 40 mobile phones requires approximately one gram of gold, which corresponds to nearly a ton of mined ore. Given the persistent rise in electronics production, and the limited and decreasing supply of gold, how will we maintain the supply of this precious material for many years to come?

One solution might be found in the recycling of electronic waste, a process often referred to as urban mining. Given that a metric tonne of recycled laptop circuit boards can have between 40 and 800 times more gold than found in a metric tonne of ore, it seems unreasonable to redeposit the precious metal into the earth via landfills. Despite this, and the fact that urban mining is growing more cost-effective by the day, only 20 per cent of all electronic waste is currently recycled. In 2017, the Global E-Waste Monitor projected that the amount of electronic waste generated by the end of 2021 would reach 52.2 million metric tonnes.

It is estimated that the value of the gold in our garbage exceeds €10 billion　 ($11.2 billion). On top of that, the many other precious metals in the garbage, such as silver, copper and platinum, add even more value to our waste. Therefore, given its economic and technological importance, it is time to consider whether other sources of gold, which are not yet decidedly possible to access, can also be exploited in the future.

While King Midas might have appealed to the gods for an easy solution to acquire gold, modern alchemists use the latest technology to achieve ancient dreams. It is these qualities that might eventually lead to environmentally mindful and energy-efficient technologies for extracting gold from incredible places.

1.The underlined word “captivated” in paragraph two can be best replaced by　　 .

A.cultivated B.jailed C.satisfied D.tempted

2.Which of the following is NOT one of the many uses of gold in history and modern time?

A.aiding the business of waste recycling industry.

B.being used in manufacturing jewellery.

C.constituting an essential part of electronic devices.

D.forming the basis of currency.

3.According to paragraph four, what is the purpose of “urban mining”？

A.To save more laptop circuit from being wasted.

B.To deposit more precious gold.

C.To preserve gold for future use.

D.To make a profit by recycling life garbage.

4.The author uses the story of “King Midas” to　　 .

A.analyze the loss caused by electronic waste

B.illustrate the magic power of urban mining

C.interest the readers with the rich history of ancient Greece

D.warn the world against becoming slaves to material gains

高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

Let’s begin with the story: King Hiero contracts the ancient Greek polymath Archimedes (阿基米德) to detect fraud in the manufacture of a golden crown. Archimedes accepts the challenge and, during a subsequent trip to the public baths, realizes that the more his body sinks into the water, the more water is displaced — making the displaced water an exact measure of his volume.

Realizing he has hit upon a method to determine whether the King’s crown was made of gold or silver, the young Greek leaps out of the bath and rushes home naked crying “Eureka! Eureka!” Or, translated: “I’ve found it! I’ve found it!”

Too bad, however, Archimedes probably never uttered the phrase in that way.

First and foremost, Archimedes himself never wrote about this episode, although he spent plenty of time detailing the laws of buoyancy (浮力). The oldest authority for the naked-Archimedes eureka story is Vitruvius, a Roman writer, who included the tale in his introduction to his ninth book of architecture. “Vitruvius may have gotten it wrong,” says Chris Schmitt, a mathematician at the University of Berlin and a self-described Archimedes fan. “The method attributed to Archimedes in the story works in theory so it sounds right, but when you actually try it, you find that the real world gets in the way.”

In fact, Schmitt is one of a long line of scientists, including Galileo, who have read the account and thought, “That can’t be right.” As Galileo wrote, Archimedes could have achieved a far more precise result using his own law of buoyancy and an accurate scale. In fact, the surface tension of water can make the volume of a light object like a crown immeasurable. “There may be some truth to it,” Schmitt adds. “Archimedes did measure the volume of things but the eureka moment was maybe due to his original discovery concerning buoyance, not to sitting in the bathtub and then running through the streets naked.”

Much like Newton’s apple, the exclamation persists because of the enduring power of the story: a golden crown, a life in the balance, a naked mathematician. The suspect foundations of the eureka moment take nothing away from the word’s ability to uniquely and concisely convey the flash of inspiration.

1.According to the first paragraph, how would Archimedes measure the volume of the crown?

A.He would weigh himself with and without the crown.

B.He would weigh the crown first and then put it into water.

C.He would go to the public baths wearing the crown on his head.

D.He would sink the crown into water and measure the water displaced.

2.What did Galileo probably think of the naked-Archimedes eureka story?

A.He believed the word “eureka” was said in another situation.

B.He suspected Archimedes didn’t run through the street naked.

C.He doubted Archimedes carried out the experiment independently.

D.He thought Archimedes would not have used the method described.

3.What can be inferred from the underlined sentence in the last paragraph?

A.The word “eureka” is still widely used today.

B.The word “eureka” is now a formal scientific term.

C.Most people accept the authenticity of the original story.

D.People are still inspired by the achievements of Archimedes.

4.What is the purpose of this text?

A.To introduce the famous scientist Archimedes.

B.To examine the credibility of the eureka story.

C.To explain how the word “eureka” was created.

D.To urge people not to use the word “eureka” anymore.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

______with Greek mythology made Monica ______to go to Greece for an adventure herself.

A. Being obsessed; determining                                              B. Being obsessed; determined

C. Obsessing; determining                                                        D. Obsessed; determined

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请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填1个单词。请将答案写在答题纸上相应题号的横线上。

In Greek mythology, the Trojan(特洛伊) War was started against the city of Troy by the Greeks after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and has appeared in many works of Greek literature, most notably through Homers(荷马) Iliad. The Iliad relates a part of the last year of the siege(包围) of Troy; the Odyssey describes the journey home of Odysseus, one of the war’s heroes. Other parts of the war are described in a cycle of epic poems(史诗), which have survived through fragments. The war provided material for Greek tragedy and other works of Greek literature, and for Roman poets including Virgil and Ovid.

The war originated from a quarrel between the goddesses Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite, after Eris, the goddess of strife and discord(不和谐), gave them a golden apple marked “for the fairest”. Zeus sent the goddesses to Paris, who judged that Aphrodite, as the “fairest”, should receive the apple. In exchange, Aphrodite made Helen, the most beautiful of all women and wife of Menelaus, fall in love with Paris, who took her to Troy. Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and the brother of Helen’s husband Menelaus, led an expedition of Greek troops to Troy and besieged the city for ten years because of Paris’ insult. After the deaths of many heroes the city fell to the ruse(策略) of the Trojan Horse. The Greeks slaughtered(大屠杀) the Trojans and desecrated(亵渎) the temples, thus earning the gods’ great anger. Few of the Greeks returned safely to their homes.

The ancient Greeks treated the Trojan War as an historical event which had taken place in the 13th or 12th century BC, and believed that Troy was located in modern-day Turkey near the Dardanelles. As of the mid-19th century, both the war and the city were widely believed to be non-historical. In 1868, however, the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann met Frank Calvert, who convinced Schliemann that Troy was at Hissarlik; this claim is now accepted by most scholars. They believe that there is a historical core to the tale. However, whether there is any historical reality behind the Trojan War is still an open question.

高三英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析

The fact ____ ancient Greek civilization had a great influence on Western culture is known to many people.

A. whether　　　　 B. that

C. if　　　　　　　　 D. how

高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

Socrates-an ancient Greek philosopher

Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher, who helped to shape Greek beliefs. The ideas he created are present in our culture today.

Socrates was a person full of curiosity. From the time he was a young man, Socrates searched for wisdom and truth. He gained wisdom by asking questions. Many people in Athens thought that they had answers. Socrates asked them questions and argued with them about different topics. He did not think they had the knowledge they claimed to have.

Socrates challenged false ideas people had about things like justice, love, or courage. He would break down the ideas people held. Then he built new and more accurate ideas. Socrates felt that this was what philosophy was all about. Since then, many great philosophers have used this method to find truth．

Throughout his life, Socrates showed no interest in money. He was also not interested in material items. Socrates would allow groups of men to listen to him speak. And he would never take money from them. He always wore the same clothes whatever the season. Socrates argued that his life was better because he had no material wealth．He felt he enjoyed his food more. He said he was stronger and healthier because he was not affected by the weather. He believed happiness came not from having more but from wanting less.

By the end of the fifth century B.C, Athens was not a great city anymore. Politicians betrayed Athens. Socrates had made many people angry over the years. He had always expressed his opinions when he thought laws and policies were wrong. Athens had a new group of political leaders in power, who didn't want to hear Socrates’comments about them. They thought Socrates had a bad influence on the young people of Athens. Socrates was also accused of not worshipping the right gods. Charges were brought against Socrates. The politicians wanted to condemn Socrates to death. Socrates’friends told him to leave Athens. They thought this was the only way for him to save his life. Socrates refused. He did not behave as most people in his situation would．Socrates said that he had always lived by the rules of Athens and he would continue to do this. He insisted on standing trial for his "crime". Socrates knew he was not guilty of anything. The reason why he was charged was because he was different from others. Although people respected him, he also had made many people angry, so the jury（陪审团）said Socrates was guilty.

When faced with the death penalty, a person could leave Athens forever. Most people chose to leave rather than die. Socrates was not like most people. Instead of telling the jury that he would go, he told them he deserved a reward. Socrates believed he had done a great service by making people think. Socrates said that he tried to "persuade every one of you not to think of what he had but rather of what he was, and how he might grow wise and good." The jury did not change its mind. Socrates was executed. He died when he drank hemlock, which is poisonous.

Socrates was the first great Greek philosopher. He also helped to shape other philosophers that came after him. Plato, who got his start by studying with Socrates, and Aristotle, who studied with Plato, also changed Western civilization. Asking questions to discover the truth is still practiced today. And schools even today still teach this method to students.

Socrates--an ancient Greek philosopher

高三英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析

In Greek mythology(神话), fire is a gift form God, stolen from Zeus(宙斯) by Prometheus and handed over to humans suffering from cold. What could be more natural than sitting around a beautiful fire on a winter night, at a campsite in the Berkshires?

Hard as it may be to believe, the fireplace—long considered a trophy(奖杯), particularly in a city like New York—is acquiring a social shame. Among those who desire to be environmentally responsible, it is joining the ranks of bottled water and big houses.

Sally Treadwell, a 51-year-old public relations executive in Boone, N.C., said nothing makes her happier than building a fire on a cold winter night. But most of the time she doesn’t, because she feels too guilty about the damage it may do to the environment. Every time she builds a fire, it causes “inner conflict,” she said. “It’s a guilty pleasure”.

“The smoke from a fire smells very nice,” said Diane Bailey, a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council in San Francisco. “But it can cause a lot of harm. The tiny particles(颗粒) can cause illness, and can cross into the bloodstream, causing heart attacks as well as worsening other conditions.”

Growing concerns about the air pollution and health problems caused by smoke from wood fires are urging a number of areas across the country to pass laws regulating them. Idaho offers a tax cut to people who replace uncertified(不合格的)wood stoves with “greener” ones; San Joaquin County in California forbids selling a home unless its wood stove is replaced with an E.P.A. certified one；and Palo Alto and other governments in California forbid wood-burning fireplaces in new construction.

Certainly, many think otherwise. In any case, most fireplaces are used far too infrequently to cause any real damage to the environment, said Stephen Sears, the vice president of the Brick Industry Association, voicing an opinion shared by some.

Perhaps not coincidentally, sales of wood-burning equipment dropped to 235,000 in 2009 from 800,000 in 1999, according to the Brick Industry Association. It also reports that approximately 35,000 fireplaces were installed in the United States in 2009, compared to 80,000 in 2005. Certainly those numbers reflect the economic slowdown, but the may also be affected by growing mixed feelings to wood fries.

1.We can infer from the 2nd paragraph that ________.

A. big houses are not considered environmentally friendly

B. bottle water is a good companion for a fire place

C. a fireplace is viewed as a sign of success

D. people in New York are laughed at for their tradition

2.Sally’s “inner conflict” in the 3rd paragraph resulted from ________.

A. her love for the fireplace

B. the damage to the environment

C. the concern about her health

D. her mixed emotion fro the fireplace

3. In terms of the regulations about wood fires we can learn from the passage that_______.

A. uncertified fireplaces are forbidden in Idaho

B. some people are against the woodfire controlling regulations

C. only energy-efficient wood stoves can be used in the US

D. all the people support measures taken to control the use of fireplaces

4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A. To urge people to burn less wood

B. To discuss wood-burning’s impact

C. To throw light on the causes of the fireplace’s decline

D. To indicate the cooling love for the fireplace

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Persuasion is the art of convincing someone to agree with you. According to the ancient Greeks, there are three basic tools of persuasion : ethos, pathos, and logos.

Ethos is a speaker’s way of convincing the audience that she is trustworthy, honest and reliable. One common way a speaker can develop ethos is by explaining how much experience or education she has in the field. After all, you’re more likely to listen to advise about how to take care of your teeth from a dentist than a fireman. A speaker can also create ethos by convincing the audience that she is a good person. If an audience cannot trust you, you will not be able to persuade them.

Pathos is a speaker’s way of connecting with an audience’s emotions. For example, a politician who is trying to convince an audience to vote for him might say that he alone can save the country from a terrible war. These words are intended to fill the audience with fear, thus making them support him. Similarly, an animal charity might show an audience pictures of injured dogs and cats, to make the viewers feel pity. If the audience feels bad for the animals, they will be more likely to donate money.

Logos is the use of facts, statistics, or other evidence to support your argument. An audience will be more likely to believe you if you have convincing data to back up your claims. Presenting this evidence is much more persuasive than simply saying “believe me”.

Although ethos, pathos, and logos all have their strengths, they are often most effective when used together. Indeed, most speakers use a combination of ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade their audiences. So, the next time you listen to a speech, watch a commercial, or listen to a friend try to convince you to lend him some money, be on the lookout for these ancient Greek tools of persuasion.

1.Why does the author say persuasion is an art?

A. They both entertain the audience.

B. They both require great skill to achieve.

C. They both demand full attention from the audience.

D. They were both common topics of ancient Greek writers.

2.How is a speaker able to show her ethos to the audience?

A. By expressing her sympathy with the audience.

B. By telling the audience about her personal preference.

C. By using beautiful language to make her statements attractive.

D. By showing her knowledge and experience relating to the topic.

3.What can we learn about the three aspects of persuasion?

A. Ethos is the most important aspect of persuasion.

B. Each aspect has a different effect on the audience.

C. Honesty is the key to making your arguments believable.

D. Political leaders mostly use pathos to persuade their audience.

4.An advertisement for washing powder which claims that M scientific tests show that our powder kills 95% of all bacteria” is mainly using _________.

A. ethos　　 B. pathos　　 C. logos　　 D. a combination of all three

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Persuasion is the art of convincing someone to agree with you. According to the ancient Greeks，there are three basic tools of persuasion：ethos，pathos，and logos.

Ethos is a speakers way of convincing the audience that she is trustworthy，honest and reliable. One common way a speaker can develop ethos is by explaining how much experience or education she has in the field. After all，you’re more likely to listen to advice about how to take care of your teeth from a dentist than a fireman. A speaker can also create ethos by convincing the audience that she is a good person. If an audience cannot trust you，you will not be able to persuade them.

Pathos is a speaker’s way of connecting with an audience’s emotions. For example，a politician who is trying to convince an audience to vote for him might say that he alone can save the country from a terrible war. These words are intended to fill the audience with fear，thus making them support him. Similarly，an animal charity might show an audience pictures of injured dogs and cats，to make the viewers feel pity. If the audience feels bad for the animals，they will be more likely to donate money.

Logos is the use of facts，statistics，or other evidence to support your argument. An audience will be more likely to believe you if you have convincing data to back up your claims. Presenting this evidence is much more persuasive than simply saying "believe me".

Although ethos，pathos，and logos all have their strengths，they are often most effective when used together. Indeed，most speakers use a combination of ethos，pathos，and logos to persuade their audiences. So，the next time you listen to a speech，watch a commercial，or listen to a friend try to convince you to lend him some money，be on the lookout for these ancient Greek tools of persuasion.

1.Why does the author say persuasion is an art？ ______

A. They both entertain the audience.

B. They both require great skills to achieve.

C. They both demand full attention from the audience.

D. They were both common topics of ancient Greek writers.

2.How is a speaker able to show her ethos to the audience？ ______

A. By expressing her sympathy with the audience.

B. By telling the audience about her personal preference.

C. By using beautiful language to make her statements attractive.

D. By showing her knowledge and experience relating to the topic.

3.What can we learn about the three aspects of persuasion？ ______

A. Ethos is the most important aspect of persuasion.

B. Each aspect has a different effect on the audience.

C. Honesty is the key to making your arguments believable.

D. Political leaders mostly use pathos to persuade their audience.

4.An advertisement for washing powder which claims that “scientific tests show that our powder kills 95% of all bacteria” is mainly using ______ .

A. ethos　　 B. pathos

C. logos　　 D. a combination of all three

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Theaters of the Past

The Greek Theater

Theaters developed in many parts of Greece. Ancient Greek theaters were built in natural open air sites on conveniently shaped hills. This allowed a great mass of people to enjoy a show at a time. Due to this, actors placed emphasis on exaggerated (夸张的) action and speech. And, colorful symbolic masks and costumes were used.

The Medieval Theater

The Medieval theater started in churches. That’s why medieval plays were about Bible stories. At first, it became a custom for priests (牧师) to act out brief scenes during Christmas and Easter. These acts attracted large crowds. Finally the church refused to allow priests to participate in any such events again, so ordinary people began these performances outside. Performances were set in the town square, with several stage settings around it.

The Elizabethan Theater

The England’s theater developed rapidly in the years following the defeat of the Spanish Navy. The dominant feature of Elizabethan theater was the stage, It has three parts: The fore stage for outside scenes ;the inner stage for scenes inside a building; an upper stage or balcony for various purposes. The reason for this design is that there were no scene changes, or breaks during the play. Very little scenery was used, so the actors had to create a scene through their voices and dialogues. This led to a more poetic script , and poets became the main source of script writing.

The Restoration Theater

Some of the plays told sad stories, but the majority of the plays were really funny. Many specialized machines were used to create the scene. The stage was a very clever idea , in that on the sides of the stage large back shutters (百叶窗) were painted with the scene.

1.Why were ancient Greek theaters built on hills?

A.To hold a large audience.

B.To build a big and strong stage.

C.To have a better sound effect.

D.To emphasize exaggerated performances.

2.In which theater could actors’ voices and speech help create scenes?

A.The Greek Theater.

B.The Medieval Theater,

C.The Elizabethan Theater,

D.The Restoration Theater.

3.What is special about the Restoration Theater?

A.Colorful masks were used.

B.The stage was smartly designed.

C.Most of its plays were sorrowful.

D.Ordinary people were the performers.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析