Having an older brother comes with plenty of benefits. Big brothers tend to look out for their younger siblings, and except for the occasional rocky moment here and there, many siblings enjoy life-long close relationships. However, a new study finds an interesting downside: children with older brothers take longer when it comes to developing language skills.
The study, led by a group of researchers in Paris, France, builds upon a former research which showed that having older siblings is associated with poor linguistic development. Now, researchers say they have come to a more specific conclusion: only children with an older brother have these linguistic difficulties.
One would think that children with older brothers would grow up around more conversation on a daily basis, thus speeding up their language development. Yet researchers say such children actually take longer than their older brothers to begin developing these skills. Researchers studied more than 1,000 children from birth to the age of five-and-a-half years old. Each child’s language skills were tested at ages 2, 3, and 5.5, using tests specially designed to measure numerous aspects of language development. What the research team discovered was significant: children with an older brother had, on average, a two-month delay in their language development compared to studied children with an older sister.
As far as explaining this, researchers have put forward two hypotheses. The first is that older sisters tend to talk more often than older brothers, which would make up for parents being less present than they were for their first child. The second hypothesis is that older sisters usually compete with their siblings less than older brothers for their parents’ attention.
Up till now, the study’s authors say they can’t say for certain why children with older brothers have a harder time developing language skills. In the future they would like to know if culture or location affects these results.
1.What does the underlined phrase“rocky moment”in Paragraph 1 refer to?
A.Sadness. B.Quarrel. C.Excitement. D.Peace.
2.Why did the Paris researchers carry out the study?
A.To find how kids learn from their siblings.
B.To further research into a former study result.
C.To explore the newest trend of linguistic world.
D.To investigate the situation of kids’language skills.
3.Which of the following did the researchers find in kids with siblings?
A.Children with older brothers were less active.
B.Siblings are less helpful to them than other people.
C.Kids with older sisters developed their language better.
D.Older children got more chances to talk to their parents.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题
Having an older brother comes with plenty of benefits. However, a new study finds an interesting downside: children with older brothers take longer when it comes to developing language skills.
The study, conducted by a group of researchers in Paris, France, builds upon early research that having older brothers is associated with poor linguistic(语言的)development. Now, researchers say they have come to a more specific conclusion: only children with an older brother show these linguistic difficulties. One would assume(假设) that children with older brothers would grow up around more conversation on a daily basis, thus speeding up their language development. But researchers say such children actually take longer than their older brothers to begin developing these skills. Researchers studied more than 1,000 children from birth to the age of five-and-a-half years old. Each child’s language skills were tested at ages 2, 3, and 5.5, using tests specially designed to measure many aspects of language development such as vocabulary and syntax(句法). What the research team discovered was significant: children with an older brother had, on average, a two-month delay in their language development compared to studied children with an older sister. As far as explaining this phenomenon, researchers have given two assumptions. The first is that older sisters tend to talk more often than older brothers, which would make up for parents being less present than they were for their first child. The second assumption is that older sisters usually compete with their brothers and sisters less than older brothers for their parents’ attention.
So far, the study’s authors say they can’t say for certain why children with older brothers have a harder time developing language skills. In the future they’d like to investigate it further.
1.What does the word “downside” mean in the first paragraph?
A.slide. B.advantage.
C.upside down. D.disadvantage.
2.What can be learned from the passage?
A.Children with older brothers will speak earlier.
B.No one knows exactly the reason why children with brothers speak later.
C.Children with an older sister had a two-month delay in speaking.
D.Researchers studied over 1,000 children of all ages.
3.What’s the weakness for the children with older brothers?
A.The parents will never care about them any more.
B.The older brothers will always fight with them.
C.The development speed of their linguistic skills will be put off.
D.They won’t enjoy life-long close relationships with the older brothers.
4.What’s the best title of the passage?
A.Young brothers usually speak earlier?
B.Having older brothers always benefits you?
C.Parents love older brothers more?
D.Sisters often compete with brothers?
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Having an older brother comes with plenty of benefits. Big brothers tend to look out for their younger siblings, and except for the occasional rocky moment here and there, many siblings enjoy life-long close relationships. However, a new study finds an interesting downside: children with older brothers take longer when it comes to developing language skills.
The study, led by a group of researchers in Paris, France, builds upon a former research which showed that having older siblings is associated with poor linguistic development. Now, researchers say they have come to a more specific conclusion: only children with an older brother have these linguistic difficulties.
One would think that children with older brothers would grow up around more conversation on a daily basis, thus speeding up their language development. Yet researchers say such children actually take longer than their older brothers to begin developing these skills. Researchers studied more than 1,000 children from birth to the age of five-and-a-half years old. Each child’s language skills were tested at ages 2, 3, and 5.5, using tests specially designed to measure numerous aspects of language development. What the research team discovered was significant: children with an older brother had, on average, a two-month delay in their language development compared to studied children with an older sister.
As far as explaining this, researchers have put forward two hypotheses. The first is that older sisters tend to talk more often than older brothers, which would make up for parents being less present than they were for their first child. The second hypothesis is that older sisters usually compete with their siblings less than older brothers for their parents’ attention.
Up till now, the study’s authors say they can’t say for certain why children with older brothers have a harder time developing language skills. In the future they would like to know if culture or location affects these results.
1.What does the underlined phrase“rocky moment”in Paragraph 1 refer to?
A.Sadness. B.Quarrel. C.Excitement. D.Peace.
2.Why did the Paris researchers carry out the study?
A.To find how kids learn from their siblings.
B.To further research into a former study result.
C.To explore the newest trend of linguistic world.
D.To investigate the situation of kids’language skills.
3.Which of the following did the researchers find in kids with siblings?
A.Children with older brothers were less active.
B.Siblings are less helpful to them than other people.
C.Kids with older sisters developed their language better.
D.Older children got more chances to talk to their parents.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Youngsters usually benefit from having a relationship with someone older and wiser to mentor（指导） them. The mentor might be a teacher, family member or more experienced peer. However, not everyone is suitable to be an influential, positive role model. 1. Here are some common characteristics of good role models.
They are confident. Most people admire those who have much confidence in themselves. 2. So they are able to acknowledge their skills and achievements without becoming arrogant ( 自 大 的 ). Just as Child Development Specialist Dr.Robyn Silverman suggests, healthy self-confidence shows as pride in who you are and what you've learned throughout your life.
3. Role models show their commitment to a desired goal by their actions and are willing to invest the necessary time and effort to achieve success. They don't give up easily and continue trying when faced with challenges. Their determination to succeed encourages youngsters to follow through and reach the goals they set for themselves.
They are respectful. 4. Young people appreciate being treated with respect and admire those who treat them and others that way. Role models who show selflessness and an equal, non-prejudiced view of those different from them earn the admiration of others.
They are optimistic and creative. Role models inspire others with a positive outlook on life. For example, a community leader faced with a financial setback （ 挫折） might welcome the opportunity to organize a fund-raising project that pulls everyone together in a constructive manner. 5.
A.They are hard-working.
B.They are knowledgeable.
C.Role models show respect for others.
D.Pick someone having the same hobbies and similar qualities as you.
E.Good role models have a healthy appreciation of their accomplishments.
F.Effective role models possess desirable characteristics that make them easy to look up to.
G.Role models tend to see the bright side in difficult situations and can find creative solutions.
高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
Seventy years ago I was quite a small little girl, the baby of the family, with an older brother and sister. My father was very ill at the time, and my mother took in sewing(缝纫) of any kind so we could live. She would sew far into the night with an old sewing machine. She never complained even when the food would be very scarce. She would sew until the early hours of morning.
Things were very bad that particular winter. Then a letter came from where her sewing machine was bought, saying that they would have to pick up her machine the next day unless payments were brought up to date. I remember when she read the letter I became frightened; I could picture us starving to death and all sorts of things that could come to a child‘s mind. My mother did not appear to be worried, however, and seemed to be quite calm about the matter. I, on the other hand, cried myself to sleep, wondering what would become of our family. Mother said God would not disappoint her, that he never had. I couldn‘t see how God was going to help us keep this old sewing machine.
The day when the men came for our machine arrived. There was a knock at the kitchen door. I was frightened as a child would be, for I was sure it was those men who would take away our sewing machine. Instead, a nicely dressed man stood at our door with a darling baby in his arms.
He asked my mother if she was Mrs. Hill. When she said she was, he said, "I‘m in trouble this morning and you have been recommended by the druggist and grocer down the street as an honest and wonderful woman. My wife was rushed to the hospital this morning, and since we have no relatives here, and I must open my dentist office, I have nowhere to leave my baby. Could you possibly take care of her for a few days?" He continued, "I will pay you in advance." With this he took out ten dollars and gave it to my mother.
Mother said, "Yes, yes, I will be glad to do so," and took the baby from his arms. When the man left, my mother turned to me with tears streaming down a face that looked as though a light was shining on it. She said, "I knew God would never let them take away my machine."
1.The turning point in the story may refer to ______.
A. a letter to the family
B. the man’s coming for help
C. the man’s wife being rushed to the hospital
D. the nicely dressed man’s trouble
2.Why did the man turn to the writer’s mother for help?
A. The people around him recommended the mother to him.
B. He was familiar with the mother.
C. The mother had sewn for him.
D. The mother was hired by the man.
3.According to the text all the following are true to the man EXCEPT _____.
A. his wife stayed in hospital
B. he was confused when in trouble
C. he had few men to turn to for help
D. he was a dentist
4.What does mother mean by saying “I knew God would never let them take away my machine?”
A. God can solve all the problem.
B. The sewing machine is my only support.
C. Never give up when in trouble.
D. Everybody should believe in God.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
We observe the tradition of having a big family dinner with a／an ____________ of delicious food on Spring Festival's Eve.
A. boom B. division
C. reputation D. abundance
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Do you regularly get together to talk with your family about problems or the day’s events?1.Want to improve your family's communication skills? Try these simple steps.
Create opportunities for talking.
2.And if you do find yourself in the car running from place to place, turn off the cell phones, and use that opportunity to catch up on the day’s activities.
Insist on family meals.
In addition to bringing everyone together for a wrap-up(总结) of the day’s activities, insist on a few standing family meals. Use the family dinner table as an opportunity to share what’s going on in each other’s lives.
3.
Spend time with each of your children and let them know that they matter. Older teens might enjoy going out for a hamburger or a coffee at their favorite coffee place. Younger children often enjoy going to the supermarket, especially when you let them select their favorite food.
Listen more and speak less.
When trying to improve any relationship, listening is far more important than talking.4. It makes kids feel respected.
5.Children feel comfortable sharing their problems with their parents, reducing the risk of peers having a negative influence on their lives. Parents remain connected with each other and their children, strengthening the family bond. And the whole family develops a communication style that can help improve the quality of relationships outside the home.
A.Think twice about where you go.
B.Go on individual dates with your children.
C.Do you want to understand your children better?
D.Make time for talking by reducing the number of unnecessary activities your family is involved in.
E.When it comes to family communication, listen four times longer than you speak.
F.Conversation is the key to any strong relationship, and it is especially true of family communication.
G.Maintaining positive family communication benefits your family in many ways.
高二英语七选五困难题查看答案及解析
If you walk through a park,you may enjoy the scents(气味）of flowers,water and soil.If you are especially lucky,you will get to smell fresh-cut grass.It's a beloved scent that transports many people back to their childhood.But there's a dark side to that smell.Indeed,we are in love with the scent of fear.
Plants have many different chemical defenses.That smell is one of them,as the grass responds to an attack,signaling(向......示意）to the surrounding grass that danger is coming.The fresh,"green”scent of a just-mowed lawn is the lawn trying to save itself,says a story at science website Real-Clear Science.
The smell is produced by a mix of chemicals called green leaf volatiles(GLVs,绿叶挥发物）.When the leafy plants are injured by animals eating them, people cutting them, or any other rough treatment-they give off GLVs into the air.These GLVs are a warning to neighbouring plants that their flowers might be removed,so they can move resources like sugar toward their roots and away from their flowers.This reduces a plant's potential losses and can help it grow back later.
The rush of GLVs does a few other things,too.One chemical helps to close the wound on the damaged plant.Others act as antibiotics(抗生素）and prevent bacterial infections.
Some GLVs may also react with animals that eat plants.Silke All-mann and Ian T.Baldwin, researchers from the University of Amsterdam,Netherlands,found that some caterpillars(毛虫）are changed by the GLV compounds(化合物）when they eat a tobacco plant.Tobacco makes the caterpillars more attractive to predators(捕食者）.For the tobacco plants,this is like having an older brother come to beat up your bully(欺凌者）.
Thankfully,nothing is coming to eat you when you mow the lawn.Instead,we human get treated to some great-smelling GLVs.One is a compound known as"cis-3-hexenal".This is the same chemical that gives strawberries their sweet scent.Similar compounds are also found in apples and olives.
＂Just about all fresh vegetables have some GLV scents to them,"Baldwin told Live Science,and fruits may release the compounds as they soften."Throughout evolutionary history,we've used that information to know when something is ripe,"Baldwin said.Now we can use it to know when grass is frightened.
1.What do we know about GLVs?
A.They are harmful to humans. B.They are unique to flowering plants.
C.They tend to stay in the air for a long time. D.They are released when plants get hurt.
2.How may plants react to the GLVs produced by neighbouring plants?
A.They grow more quickly. B.They produce more flowers.
C.They absorb more water. D.They transport resources to their roots.
3.In paragraph5,the underlined part"an older brother"refers to
A.a kind of antibiotic B.a predator. C.a caterpillar. D.a tobacco plant.
4.According to Baldwin,GLVs can
A.tell us whether fruits are ready to eat. B.protect plants from pests.
C.help fruits grow more quickly. D.help people choose delicious fruits.
高二英语阅读选择简单题查看答案及解析
Why do I volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America? I have many reasons. Perhaps the biggest reason is that someone volunteered to help me. Years ago, I was on the other side of the table. I was lonely and felt kind of lost. More than once, I found myself on the wrong side of a jail cell(牢房). If someone hadn’t stepped in, I probably wouldn’t even be here right now.
I've seen the work that Big Brothers Big Sisters has been doing all over the country and I'm pleased to be part of it. I've never done anything that made me prouder than my volunteering work. Big Brothers Big Sisters helped me get my head on straight. There are no words to describe the joy I get from helping somebody turn their life around.
Don't tell anyone I said that, but volunteering is probably the fastest way to get over sadness or depression. Every time I start to feel bad, I talk to someone who needs my help and it makes me feel better and worse all at the same time. I feel better, because doing good things fills me with a sense of pride. I feel worse because I feel I have no right to complain about my situation especially when I hear what others are going through.
I’ve come a long way from where I was. Volunteering is how I want to leave my mark on the world. I recommend volunteering work to everybody, especially for somebody who isn't sure where they're going in life. Helping someone find their path is often the best way to find yours.
1.But for the one who helped him, the writer_________.
A. would have gone to prison
B. would be a dangerous guy now
C. would have been killed by others
D. would be still alone and lost now
2.Why does the writer sometimes feel worse when volunteering?
A. Because he is so sorry for his complaining.
B. Because volunteering is in fact not a piece of cake
C. Because he is forbidden to complain about his difficulties
D. Because helping others can't always give him a sense of pride.
3.The underlined part in the last paragraph means_________.
A. going back has been impossible
B. volunteering has improved the writer a lot
C. the writer has a long way to go before getting noticed
D. the writer values the old good days at Big Brothers Big Sisters
4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A. Only by helping others can we find the path in life.
B. Big Brothers Big Sisters will become famous one day
C. The writer has decided to devote his life to volunteering
D. Big Brothers Big Sisters will leave every member mark on the world
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
I grew up in a big family—five brothers, three sisters and I –with just enough of all the right part to make a childhood well remembered. It was a very strict upbringing.
On the first day of my second grade, my father asked me if I could read well. “Yes, I can,” I said. So he gave me a hand-draw map with street names and directions on how to walk to school. The school was three miles away, and I had never been there by myself.
He handed me the map and my lunch box and said, “Don’t stop and don’t turn back.” I was standing, scared, but he kissed me goodbye and sent me out of the door. On my way to school, I couldn’t help crying, but I continued to walk. I didn’t know how long it would take me to get there, or how many fearful and anxious moments I would have, but I do remember forever how I felt when I came around the last corner, and saw my school.
My heart was filled with relief and joy. I made it! I wished I could tell my father right then that I had made it. When he got home, he said to me, “Hi, did you have fun?” I murmured, “Yes,” and waited for him to ask what had happened, but he never did.
Years later, I finally got the courage to ask him why he did that and why he didn’t care about what had happened. He just looked at me for a few minutes and then said, “I didn’t have to ask you, because I knew. I followed you the whole way. I saw you jump up and down at the last street corner. I felt what you felt.” Then I understood and cried.
1.According to the passage, how many children does the author’s father have?
A. Five B. Three
C. Eight D. Nine
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE on the first day of the author’s second grade?
A. The author asked her father’s permission to go to school on her own.
B. The author’s father gave the author lots of directions and guidance before he let her go to school alone.
C. The author cried because she couldn’t see her father and lost her way.
D. The author felt relieved and joyful when she finally reached school by herself.
3.We can know from the passage that __________.
A. the author misunderstood her father at first
B. the author hates her father because he was too strict with her
C. the author’s father didn’t care about the author’s feelings at all
D. the author’s father regretted for what he had done to his daughter
4.What does the passage mainly want to tell us?
A. Living in a big family is not good at all.
B. Parents’ love for their children is often unnoticed.
C. Children cannot grow up under parents’ protection.
D. We should be brave enough to accept challenge at a young age.
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Many people turn to doctors or self-help books, but they forget a great thing that could help them fight illness: their friends.
Researchers are only now starting to pay attention to the importance of friendship in health. A 10-year Australian study found that older people with a large circle of friends were 22 percent less likely to die during the study period than those with fewer friends. A large 2007 study showed an increase of nearly 60 percent in the danger for obesity among people whose friends gained weight. And last year, Harvard researchers reported that strong social ties (关系) could improve brain health as we age.
“In general, the role of friendship in our lives isn’t well realized,” said Rebecca, a professor at the University of North Carolina. “Friendship has a bigger effect on our psychological (心理的) health than family relationships.”
While many friendship studies are about the close relationships of women, some research shows that it can do good to men too. In a six-year study of 736 middle-aged men, having friendships reduces the risk of heart disease. Only smoking was as important a danger factor (因素) as having little social support.
The exact reason why friendship has such a big effect isn’t clear. While friends can send a sick person to the hospital or pick up medicine, the advantages go well beyond physical help. Friendship clearly has a big psychological effect. “People with stronger friendships feel like there is someone they can turn to,” said Karen, a doctor. “The message of these studies is that friends make your life better.”
1.The three studies in paragraph 2 show that ________.
A.social ties have something to do with health
B.friends can help us lose weight
C.old people need friends the most
D.having more friends makes us healthier
2.Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined word “obesity”?
A.health B.unhappiness C.excitement D.fatness
3.What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 3 mean?
A.Friendship is more important to women than to men.
B.What people need most is a friend’s care.
C.The value of friendship hasn’t been fully understood.
D.Friendship is more important than family relationship.
4.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Smoking and lack of friends are also risk factors for health.
B.Friendship and family relationships have equal effects on health.
C.Close friendships are good for women but not for men.
D.It is clear why friendship has such a huge impact on health.
5.What is the passage mainly about?
A.How to keep healthy.
B.The importance of doctors or self-help books.
C.The relationship between friendship and health.
D.How to improve family relationships.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析