The Swiss army knife is a popular device that is recognized all over the world. In Switzerland, there is a saying that every good Swiss citizen has one in his or her pocket. But the knife had poor beginnings.
In the late nineteenth century, the Swiss army issued（发给） its soldiers a gun that required a special screwdriver（螺丝刀） to take it apart and clean it. At the same time, canned food was becoming common in the army. Swiss generals decided to issue each soldier a standard knife to serve both as a screwdriver and a can opener.
It was a lifesaver for Swiss knife makers, who were struggling to compete with cheaper German imports. In 1884, Carl Elsener, head of the Swiss knife manufacturer（maker） Victorinox, seized that opportunity with both hands, and designed a soldier's knife that the army loved. It was a simple knife with one big blade(刀片), a can opener, and a screwdriver.
A few years after the soldier's knife was issued, the "Schweizer Offizier Messer," or Swiss Officer's Knife, came on the market. Interestingly, the Officer's Knife was never given to those serving in the army. The Swiss army purchasers considered the new model with a corkscrew（瓶塞钻） for opening wine not "essential for survival," so officers had to buy this new model by themselves. But its special multi-functional design later launched(发行) the knife as a global brand. After the Second World War, a great number of American soldiers were stationed in Europe. And as they could buy the Swiss army knife at shops on army bases, they bought huge quantities of them. However, it seems that "Schweizer Offizier Messer" was too difficult for them to say, so they just called it the Swiss army knife, and that is the name it is now known by all over the world.
1.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A. To explain the origin of the Swiss army knife.
B. To introduce the functions of the Swiss army knife.
C. To emphasize the importance of the Swiss army knife.
D. To tell a story about the designer of the Swiss army knife.
2.What does "It" in the third paragraph refer to?
A. The Swiss army needed a knife for every soldier.
B. Every good Swiss citizen had a knife in his pocket.
C. Swiss knives were competing with imported knives.
D. Canned food was becoming popular in the Swiss army.
3.Why didn't the Swiss army purchase the Swiss Officer's Knife?
A. The design of the knife was too simple.
B. The knife was sold out to American soldiers.
C. The army had no budget to make the purchase.
D. The new design was not considered necessary for officers to own.
4.Who gave the name "the Swiss army knife" to the knife discussed in the passage?
A. Carl Elsener. B. Swiss generals.
C. American soldiers. D. German businessmen.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
The Swiss army knife is a popular device that is recognized all over the world. In Switzerland, there is a saying that every good Swiss citizen has one in his or her pocket. But the knife had poor beginnings.
In the late nineteenth century, the Swiss army issued（发给） its soldiers a gun that required a special screwdriver（螺丝刀） to take it apart and clean it. At the same time, canned food was becoming common in the army. Swiss generals decided to issue each soldier a standard knife to serve both as a screwdriver and a can opener.
It was a lifesaver for Swiss knife makers, who were struggling to compete with cheaper German imports. In 1884, Carl Elsener, head of the Swiss knife manufacturer（maker） Victorinox, seized that opportunity with both hands, and designed a soldier's knife that the army loved. It was a simple knife with one big blade(刀片), a can opener, and a screwdriver.
A few years after the soldier's knife was issued, the "Schweizer Offizier Messer," or Swiss Officer's Knife, came on the market. Interestingly, the Officer's Knife was never given to those serving in the army. The Swiss army purchasers considered the new model with a corkscrew（瓶塞钻） for opening wine not "essential for survival," so officers had to buy this new model by themselves. But its special multi-functional design later launched(发行) the knife as a global brand. After the Second World War, a great number of American soldiers were stationed in Europe. And as they could buy the Swiss army knife at shops on army bases, they bought huge quantities of them. However, it seems that "Schweizer Offizier Messer" was too difficult for them to say, so they just called it the Swiss army knife, and that is the name it is now known by all over the world.
1.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A. To explain the origin of the Swiss army knife.
B. To introduce the functions of the Swiss army knife.
C. To emphasize the importance of the Swiss army knife.
D. To tell a story about the designer of the Swiss army knife.
2.What does "It" in the third paragraph refer to?
A. The Swiss army needed a knife for every soldier.
B. Every good Swiss citizen had a knife in his pocket.
C. Swiss knives were competing with imported knives.
D. Canned food was becoming popular in the Swiss army.
3.Why didn't the Swiss army purchase the Swiss Officer's Knife?
A. The design of the knife was too simple.
B. The knife was sold out to American soldiers.
C. The army had no budget to make the purchase.
D. The new design was not considered necessary for officers to own.
4.Who gave the name "the Swiss army knife" to the knife discussed in the passage?
A. Carl Elsener. B. Swiss generals.
C. American soldiers. D. German businessmen.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What kind of people is The Knife and Talk popular with?
A. Truck drivers. B. Office workers. C. Actors.
2.What does the woman like most about the restaurant?
A. Quiet environment. B. Great waitresses. C. Pop music.
3.What does the man say about his favourite restaurant?
A. Its tables are pink. B. It offers great food. C. It was just opened.
4.What does the man have for lunch?
A. Pancakes. B. Fish pie. C. Sausages.
高二英语长对话困难题查看答案及解析
It is amazing to note that the Internet is still such a new device，and yet it is one of the fastest and most powerful media tools. But think about it for a moment. On the Internet, a big online company can be run by only two guys in their garage. So it is only reasonable then, that people shopping online would be a little leery of the security levels.
Internet giants such as Microsoft knew consumer confidence was the key to getting virtual shopping off the ground, and they work hard to make people feel safe to shop online.
Credit card companies, too, quickly saw the potential for online shopping, and have installed things like online shopping insurance for people. If you ever have a problem with your online credit purchases, many credit card companies will happily refund your money and then set their claws on the company that wronged you. Now that’s buying power!
There are other bonuses for online shoppers, of course. No line－ups, for one. No annoying mall shopping carts with broken wheels and kids crying because their parents won’t get them what they want.
When shopping online, consumers can sit down, have a coffee, and wear their slippers, not having to worry about their hair or parking, and just clicking through sale after sale. Comparison shopping couldn’t be any easier. And thanks to courier companies（快递公司）getting in on the act, you never need to wait longer than a day or two to get those all important purchases delivered right to your door.
No wonder so many companies are shaking their heads at traditional advertising and instead looking to the “virtual” world to attract online shoppers.
1.The underlined word leery means _________.
A. distrustful B. confident
C. hopeful D. disappointed
2.Consumer confidence in online shopping mainly relies on _________.
A. shopping freedom B. shopping convenience
C. Internet access D. Shopping security
3.Which groups of words would the writer use to describe current online shopping?
A. Adventurous, enjoyable, fast, unreal
B. Unsafe, cheap, slow, convenient
C. Safe, convenient, fast, comfortable
D. Reliable, popular, convenient, slow
4.The following companies are thought to have made contributions to the popularity of online shopping EXCEPT ________.
A. Internet companies
B. advertising companies
C. courier companies
D. credit card companies
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
It appears that the police now have a device that can read license plates and check if a car is unregistered, uninsured or stolen. We already know that National Security Agency can dip into your Facebook page and Google searches. And it seems that almost every store we go into these days wants your home phone number and ZIP code as part of any deal.
So when Edward Snowden — now cooling his heels in Russia — revealed the extent to which the NSA is spying on Americans, collecting data on phone calls we make, it's not as if we should have been surprised. We live in a world that George Orwell predicted in 1984. And that realization has caused sales of the 1949, dystopian (反乌托邦）novel to spike dramatically upward recently — a 9,000% increase at one point on Amazon. com.
Comparisons between Orwell’s novel about a tightly controlled totalitarian (极权主义的）future ruled by the everywhere-present Big Brother and today are, in fact, quite similar. Here are a few of the most obvious ones.
Telescreens — in the novel, nearly all public and private places have large TV screens that broadcast government propaganda (宣传), news and approved entertainment. But they are also two-way monitors that spy on citizens, private lives. Today websites like Facebook track our likes and dislikes, and governments and private individuals hack into our computers and find out what they want to know. Then there are the ever-present monitoring cameras that spy on the ordinary people as they go about their daily routine.
The endless war — In Orwell’s book, there's global war that has been going on seemingly forever, and as the book's hero, Winston Smith, realizes the enemy keeps changing. One week we’re at war with Eastasia and friends with Eurasia. The next week, it's just the opposite. There seems little to distinguish the two opponents, and they are used primarily to keep the people of Oceania, where Smith lives, in a constant state of fear, thereby making disagreement unthinkable — or punishable. Today we have the so-called war on terror, with no end in sight, a generalized societal fear, suspension of certain civil liberties, and an ill-defined enemy who could be anywhere, and anything.
Newspeak — the fictional, stripped-down English language, used to limit free thought. OMG (Oh my God), RU (Are you) serious? That's so FUBAR (Fucked Beyond Ail Recognition). LMAO (Laugh My Ass Off).
Memory hole — this is the machine used in the book to change or disappear embarrassing documents. Paper shredders (碎纸机） had been invented, but were hardly used when Orwell wrote his book, and the concept of wiping out a hard drive was years in the future. But the memory hole foretold both technologies.
So what’s it all meant? In 1984, Winston Smith, after an intense round of “behavioral modification” — read: torture— learns to love Big Brother, and the difficult world he was born into. Jump forward to today, it seems we’ve willingly given up all sorts of freedoms, and much of our right to privacy. Fears of terrorism have a lot to do with this, but dizzying advances in technology, and the ubiquity of social media, play a big part.
There are those who say that if you don't have anything to hide, you have nothing to be afraid of. But the fact is, when a government agency can monitor everyone’s phone calls, we have all become suspects. This is one of the most frightening aspects of our modem society. And even more frightening is the fact that we have gone so far down the street, there is probably no turning back. Unless you spend your life in a wilderness cabin, totally off the grid, there is simply no way the government won’t have information about you stored away somewhere.
What this means, unfortunately, is that we are all Winston Smith. And Big Brother is the modem surveillance state.
1.What caused 1984 to sell well on Amazon.com?
A. The similarities between the world we live in and that of 1984.
B. The surprise at how Americans are spied on by the government.
C. The fact that authorities have access to our personal information.
D. The worry that our government agencies can monitor our phones.
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. When Orwell wrote 1984, paper shredders didn't exist.
B. The war with Eastasia makes people in Oceania fearful.
C. Telescreens are used to broadcast and spy on citizens’ privacy.
D. Winston Smith loves Big Brother due to the fears of terrorism.
3. What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 8 refer to?
A. Addiction to social media.
B. The phone calls being monitored.
C. A round of “behavioral modification”.
D. Willingness to abandon freedom and privacy.
4.The underlined part in the passage replies that _______.
A. it is impossible for us to return to our initial path
B. it’s very difficult for us to change the current situation
C. we are walking along the street too far to go back home
D. the government can find out which street we are going down
5. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A. We are all Winston Smith.
B. Big Brother is watching you.
C. We’re living “1984” today.
D. The NSA is spying on Americans.
6.What is the writer's attitude towards the phenomenon?
A. Optimistic. B. Concerned. C. Angry. D. Indifferent.
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
A device that stops drivers from falling asleep at the wheel is about to undergo testing at Department of Transport laboratories and could go on sale within 12 months.
The system, called Driver Alert, aims to reduce deadly road accidents by 20%—40% that are caused by tiredness. Airline pilots can also use it to reduce the 30% of all pilot-error accidents that are related to fatigue.
Driver Alert is based on a computerized wristband (腕带). The device, worn by drivers or pilots gives out a sound about every four minutes during a car journey. After each sound the driver must respond by squeezing the steering wheel (方向盘). A sensor in the wristband detects this pressing action and measures the time between the sound and the driver’s response.
Tiredness is directly related to a driver’s response time. Usually, a watchful driver would use about 400 milliseconds to respond, but once that falls to more than 500 milliseconds, it suggests that the driver is getting sleepy.
In such cases the device gives out more regular and louder sounds, showing that the driver should open a window or stop for a rest. If the driver’s response continues to slow down, the sounds become more frequent until a nonstop alarm warns that the driver must stop as soon as possible.
The device has been delivered to the department’s laboratories for testing. If these tests, scheduled for six months’ time, are successful, the makers will bring the product to market within about a year.
1.Driver Alert is a device that can .
A. keep drivers asleep
B. change drivers’ response accuracy
C. reduce the possibility of accidents
D. protect drivers when accidents happen
2.What does the underlined word “fatigue” in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. Illness. B. Tiredness.
C. Carelessness. D. Impoliteness.
3.How does Driver Alert work?
A. By being used as a nonstop alarm all the time.
B. By squeezing the steering wheel on the way,
C. By reminding or warning drivers if necessary.
D. By being worn on drivers’ hands every moment.
4.What do we know about Driver Alert?
A. It must be fixed on the driver’s cars.
B. It aims to prevent drivers from sleeping.
C. It has gone through testing at laboratories.
D. It isn’t available to drivers at the moment
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
It is recognized that the part ___ the UN plays in international relations is important.
A. in which B. where C. that D. of which
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
What is intelligence anyway? When I was in the army I______ an intelligence test that all soldiers took, and, against_______ of 100, scored 160.
I had an auto-repair man once, who, on these intelligence tests, could not______ have scored more than 80. ______, when anything went wrong with my car I hurried to him and he always ________it.
Well, then, suppose my auto-repair man______ questions for some intelligence tests. By every one of them I’d prove myself a______. In a world where I have to work with my______. I’d do poorly.
Consider my auto-repair man______. He had a habit of telling______. One time he said, “Doc, a deaf-and-dumb man______some nails. Having entered a store, he put two fingers together on the counter and made ______ movements with the other hand. The clerk brought him a hammer. He______ his head and pointed to the two fingers he was hammering. The clerk______ him some nails. He picked out the right size and left. Well, Doc, the______ man who came in was blind. He wanted scissors (剪刀). ______ do you suppose he asked for them?” I lifted my right hand and made scissoring movements with my first two fingers. He burst out laughing and said, “Why, you fool, he used his ______ and asked for them. I’ve been______ that on all my customers today, but I knew ______ I’d catch you.” “Why is that?” I asked. “Because you are so goddamned educated, Doc. I knew you couldn’t be very ______.”
And I have an uneasy feeling he had something there.
1.A. received B. wrote C. failed D. chose
2.A. an exam B. a total C. an average D. a number
3.A. always B. possibly C. certainly D. frequently
4.A. Then B. Thus C. Therefore D. Yet
5.A. drove B. checked C. fixed D. changed
6.A. designed B. answered C. practised D. tried
7.A. teacher B. doctor C. winner D. fool
8.A. brains B. effort C. hands D. attention
9.A. too B. as usual C. again D. as well
10.A. lies B. jokes C. news D. tales
11.A. bought B. needed C. found D. tested
12.A. hammering B. cutting C. waving D. circling
13.A. nodded B. raised C. shook D. turned
14.A. brought B. packed C. sent D. sold
15.A. clever B. other C. right D. next
16.A. What B. Which C. Who D. How
17.A. imagination B. voice C. hand D. information
18.A. trying B. proving C. practising D. examining
19.A. at once B. right now C. in fact D. for sure
20.A. smart B. clear C. slow D. silly
高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
What is intelligence anyway? When I was in the army I______ an intelligence test that all soldiers took, and, against_______ of 100, scored 160.
I had an auto-repair man once, who, on these intelligence tests, could not______ have scored more than 80. ______, when anything went wrong with my car I hurried to him and he always ________it.
Well, then, suppose my auto-repair man______ questions for some intelligence tests. By every one of them I’d prove myself a______. In a world where I have to work with my______. I’d do poorly.
Consider my auto-repair man______. He had a habit of telling______. One time he said, “Doc, a deaf-and-dumb man______some nails. Having entered a store, he put two fingers together on the counter and made ______ movements with the other hand. The clerk brought him a hammer. He______ his head and pointed to the two fingers he was hammering. The clerk______ him some nails. He picked out the right size and left. Well, Doc, the______ man who came in was blind. He wanted scissors (剪刀). ______ do you suppose he asked for them?” I lifted my right hand and made scissoring movements with my first two fingers. He burst out laughing and said, “Why, you fool, he used his ______ and asked for them. I’ve been______ that on all my customers today, but I knew ______ I’d catch you.” “Why is that?” I asked. “Because you are so goddamned educated, Doc. I knew you couldn’t be very ______.”
And I have an uneasy feeling he had something there.
1.A.received B.wrote C.failed D.chose
2.A.an exam B.a total C.an average D.a number
3.A.always B.possibly C.certainly D.frequently
4.A.Then B.Thus C.Therefore D.Yet
5.A.drove B.checked C.fixed D.changed
6.A.designed B.answered C.practised D.tried
7.A.teacher B.doctor C.winner D.fool
8.A.brains B.effort C.hands D.attention
9.A.too B.as usual C.again D.as well
10.A.lies B.jokes C.news D.tales
11.A.bought B.needed C.found D.tested
12.A.hammering B.cutting C.waving D.circling
13.A.nodded B.raised C.shook D.turned
14.A.brought B.packed C.sent D.sold
15.A.clever B.other C.right D.next
16.A.What B.Which C.Who D.How
17.A.imagination B.voice C.hand D.information
18.A.trying B.proving C.practising D.examining
19.A.at once B.right now C.in fact D.for sure
20.A.smart B.clear C.slow D.silly
高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Every one of us has shortcomings. However, what’s the most important is that we should recognize them and overcome them.
注意：①无须写标题，不得照抄英语提示语；
②除诗歌外，文体不限；
③文中不得透漏个人姓名和学校名称；
④词数不少于120。
高二英语书面表达中等难度题查看答案及解析
Dyslexia is a problem that restricts the ability to recognize words and connect sounds with letters when people read. People with this learning disorder may also have problems when they write. Dyslexia is not related to eyesight or intelligence. The problem involves areas of the brain that process language. Brain scientists are studying whether they can predict which young children may struggle with reading to provide them with early help. John Gabrieli at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is leading the study of five-year-olds in about twenty schools in the Boston area.
They studied in the schools with kindergartens. And for all the children joining in the study, they give them a brief set of paper-and-pencil tests to look at which children appear to be at some risk for struggling to read. So far, fifty of them have been examined in a scanner, a special machine, to show brain activity. Written tests are not always able to identify dyslexia or other problems, while brain scans may offer a more scientific way to identify problems. And with reading problems, early identification is important. When it comes to helping children overcome reading difficulties, the younger the child, the more effective they are.
Reading problems are not usually identified until a child is in the third or fourth grade. The later children are recognized as poor readers, the less treatment can help. And, as Professor Gabrieli points out, poor reading can make education a struggle. Reading is everything. Even math and science have textbooks.
While the children are given tasks related to reading, the brain scans measure the extent to which certain parts of the brain become active while the children do the work. The scientists say they are pleased with early results from the study, but have a long way to go.
1.Dyslexia affects the part of brain concerning ________.
A.eyesight B.intelligence C.language D.emotion
2.Dyslexia problems are more likely to be identified through ________.
A.speech contests B.reading efficiency
C.listening comprehension D.brain scans
3.According to the passage, which of the followings has the best time to overcome reading difficulties?
A.Tom, a boy in the kindergarten.
B.Kate, a high school leaver.
C.Jane, a primary school student.
D.Steve, a man in his thirties.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.An effective way to identity Dyslexia at an early stage.
B.A learning disorder involving one’s intelligence.
C.Dyslexia — a problem affecting one’s reading and writing.
D.A possible solution to the problems related to Dyslexia.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析