Brandon Smith, in Houston, Texas, turned 12 on April 11. It is a tough time to have a birthday. But he still had a socially distanced birthday celebration that he will always remember.
Celebrations in the age of the coronavirus（冠状病毒） have forced people to get creative. Brandon’s father, Jody Smith, went on Twitter with a simple request. He posted a picture of Brandon on it. In the photo, Brandon is holding up a drawing. It is a blank map of the world. Mr. Smith asked people on Twitter to reply to his post and say where they are. That way, his map-loving son could mark the locations.
“I thought it would be fun to get 50-maybe 100-people to reply from around the world, and most would be in the US.” Smith said, “That’s really what my expectations were.”
To his surprise, however, thousands of responses to Smith’s request came in. Pictures were sent from the Caribbean, South America and Europe.
Brandon would add each spot to his map. “He is having a blast,” Mr. Smith said.
In the afternoon of April 11, Brandon was popular on Twitter. He was the most-talked-about topic.
Brandon did not really want a birthday party. He wanted to do an activity he likes. “Brandon is on the autism spectrum（自闭症）.” Smith said. Children with autism have different abilities. They get very interested in things. They will be interested in it for just a few weeks, Sometimes, months, One thing that Brandon continues to love is maps.
Mr. Smith’s phone pinged with so many birthday messages. Each time one arrived, Brandon put a mark on his map. He put it wherever the message came from. He knew where most places were. He hardly had to look at a real map to check.
By noon, Brandon’s map was covered in marks. Mr. Smith was grateful for all the responses.
“These are pretty trying times,” Mr. Smith said. He was glad to see people being kind. Mr. Smith said the responses made Brandon feel so special on his birthday.
1.Why did Smith ask people on Twitter to send birthday messages to his son?
A.Brandon needed encouragement during this difficult time.
B.He wanted to see how many responses he could get.
C.Brandon spends much of his time talking to people on the internet.
D.He could not celebrate how he usually would because of the coronavirus.
2.What happened after people told Brandon where they were?
A.He marked the locations on his map.
B.He added the spots to a list.
C.He mailed them a letter.
D.He read about the places.
3.Why does Brandon does not like birthday parties?
A.The coronavirus has changed how people are celebrating.
B.Friends have what is being called socially distanced birthday parties.
C.Children with autism have different abilities.
D.Mr. Smith explained that Brandon gets very interested in things.
4.Why does Smith feel surprised about the response to his Twitter post?
A.He thought that more people would reply to it.
B.He did not expect so many people to reply to it.
C.He thought that more people from Texas would reply to it.
D.He did not know that he had so many Twitter followers.
5.What does the underlined word “trying” mean?
A.Difficult. B.hard-working.
C.Interesting. D.tiring.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题
Brandon Smith, in Houston, Texas, turned 12 on April 11. It is a tough time to have a birthday. But he still had a socially distanced birthday celebration that he will always remember.
Celebrations in the age of the coronavirus（冠状病毒） have forced people to get creative. Brandon’s father, Jody Smith, went on Twitter with a simple request. He posted a picture of Brandon on it. In the photo, Brandon is holding up a drawing. It is a blank map of the world. Mr. Smith asked people on Twitter to reply to his post and say where they are. That way, his map-loving son could mark the locations.
“I thought it would be fun to get 50-maybe 100-people to reply from around the world, and most would be in the US.” Smith said, “That’s really what my expectations were.”
To his surprise, however, thousands of responses to Smith’s request came in. Pictures were sent from the Caribbean, South America and Europe.
Brandon would add each spot to his map. “He is having a blast,” Mr. Smith said.
In the afternoon of April 11, Brandon was popular on Twitter. He was the most-talked-about topic.
Brandon did not really want a birthday party. He wanted to do an activity he likes. “Brandon is on the autism spectrum（自闭症）.” Smith said. Children with autism have different abilities. They get very interested in things. They will be interested in it for just a few weeks, Sometimes, months, One thing that Brandon continues to love is maps.
Mr. Smith’s phone pinged with so many birthday messages. Each time one arrived, Brandon put a mark on his map. He put it wherever the message came from. He knew where most places were. He hardly had to look at a real map to check.
By noon, Brandon’s map was covered in marks. Mr. Smith was grateful for all the responses.
“These are pretty trying times,” Mr. Smith said. He was glad to see people being kind. Mr. Smith said the responses made Brandon feel so special on his birthday.
1.Why did Smith ask people on Twitter to send birthday messages to his son?
A.Brandon needed encouragement during this difficult time.
B.He wanted to see how many responses he could get.
C.Brandon spends much of his time talking to people on the internet.
D.He could not celebrate how he usually would because of the coronavirus.
2.What happened after people told Brandon where they were?
A.He marked the locations on his map.
B.He added the spots to a list.
C.He mailed them a letter.
D.He read about the places.
3.Why does Brandon does not like birthday parties?
A.The coronavirus has changed how people are celebrating.
B.Friends have what is being called socially distanced birthday parties.
C.Children with autism have different abilities.
D.Mr. Smith explained that Brandon gets very interested in things.
4.Why does Smith feel surprised about the response to his Twitter post?
A.He thought that more people would reply to it.
B.He did not expect so many people to reply to it.
C.He thought that more people from Texas would reply to it.
D.He did not know that he had so many Twitter followers.
5.What does the underlined word “trying” mean?
A.Difficult. B.hard-working.
C.Interesting. D.tiring.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
A storm hit Houston, Texas, on Tuesday. It brought heavy rains and rising flood-waters. By Tuesday night, some parts of the city had received 10 inches of rain. Police and firefighters helped people move to safe places. They also saved people from cars and buses that were stuck on roads.
Certain areas around Houston were hit really hard. In just four hours, more than seven inches of rain fell in Sugar Land in the southwest of Houston. Cars could not pass through any of the areas main roadways. On Twitter, Sugar Land city officials asked people to get to high ground.
Tuesday’s rain hit parts of Texas that Hurricane Harvey had already damaged almost two years ago. Hurricane Harvey in August, 2017 was the second most costly hurricane in US history. It caused $125 billion worth of damage in Texas. In the Houston area, 36 people died and about 150, 000 homes were flooded.
A spokesman for the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management spoke with the Houston Chronicle. The spokesman said that this week’s rain is “not in any way a Harvey-level event.”
But the worst may not be over yet. People will have a break from the heavy rain on Wednesday. According to the National Weather Service, the Texas Gulf Coast will continue to experience heavy rain later in the week. "Today should be our quietest over the next few days for rainfall,” said Don Oettinger, a National Weather Service meteorologist (气象学家).
Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peia warned, “As there is too much water on the ground, these are perfect conditions for flash floods, so we hope people are careful of what they’re doing and encourage them to stay home. There’s no sense in putting yourself, firefighters or anybody in danger needlessly.”
1.What are Paragraphs 1 and 2 mainly about?
A.Flood damage in Houston. B.Flood prevention in Houston.
C.Heavy floods hitting Houston. D.People fighting floods in Houston.
2.What do we know about Hurricane Harvey?
A.It caused no deaths or injuries. B.It did a lot of damage to Texas.
C.It was less serious than this week’s rain. D.It was the biggest hurricane on record.
3.What can we learn from the weather report of the National Weather Service?
A.Fine days are coming. B.It will rain a little non-stop.
C.A hurricane is unavoidable. D.Floods will continue.
4.What did Samuel suggest local people do?
A.Stay indoors. B.Join firefighters.
C.Give up needless things. D.Comfort those who lost homes.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In a room at Texas Children Cancer Center in Houston, eight-year-old Simran Jatar lay in bed with a drip (点滴) above her to fight her bone cancer. Over her bald (秃的) head, she wore a pink hat that matched her clothes. But the third grader’s cheery dressing didn’t mask her pain and weary eyes.
Then a visitor showed up. “Do you want to write a song?” asked Anita Kruse, 49, rolling a cart equipped with an electronic keyboard, a microphone and speakers. Simran stared. “Have you ever written a poem?” Anita Kruse continued. “Well, yes,” Simran said.
Within minutes, Simran was reading her poem into the microphone. “Some bird soaring through the sky,” she said softly. “Imagination in its head…” Anita Kruse added piano music, a few warbling (鸣, 唱) birds, and finally the girl’s voice. Thirty minutes later, she presented Simran with a CD of her first recorded song.
That was the beginning of Anita Kruse’s project, Purple Songs Can Fly, one that has helped more than 125 young patients write and record songs. As a composer and pianist who had performed at the hospital, Kruse said that the idea of how she could help “came in one flash”.
The effect on the kids has been great. One teenage girl, curling (蜷缩) in pain in her wheelchair, stood unaided to dance to a hip-hop song she had written. A 12-year-old boy with Hodgkin’s disease who rarely spoke surprised his doctors with a song he called I Can Make It.
“My time with the kids is heartbreaking because of the severity of their illnesses,” says Anita Kruse. “But they also make you happy, when the children are smiling, excited to share their CD with their families.”
Simran is now an active sixth grader and cancer-free. From time to time, she and her mother listen to her song, Always Remembering, and they always remember the “really sweet and nice and loving” lady who gave them a shining moment in the dark hour.
1.Simran Jatar lay in bed in hospital because ______.
| A．most of her hair had fallen out |
| B．she was receiving treatment for cancer |
| C．she felt depressed and quit from school |
| D．she was suffering from a pain in her back |
2.What do we know about Anita Kruse’s project?
| A．It helps young patients record songs. |
| B．It is supported by singers and patients. |
| C．It aims to replace the medical treatment. |
| D．It offers patients chances to realize their dreams. |
3.What does the case of a 12-year-old boy suggest?
| A．Most children are naturally fond of music. |
| B．He was brave enough to put up performance. |
| C．The project has positive effect on young patients. |
| D．Singing is the best way to treat some illnesses. |
4.What is probably the best title for the passage?
| A．Purple Songs Can Fly |
| B．Singing Can Improve Health |
| C．A Shining Moment in Life |
| D．A Kind Woman—Anita Kruse |
高二英语阅读理解极难题查看答案及解析
In a room at Texas Children Cancer Center in Houston, eight-year-old Simran Jatar lay in bed with a drip (点滴) above her to fight her bone cancer. Over her bald (秃的) head, she wore a pink hat that matched her clothes. But the third grader’s cheery dressing didn’t mask her pain and weary(疲倦的) eyes.
Then a visitor showed up. “Do you want to write a song?” asked Anita Kruse, 49, rolling a cart equipped with an electronic（电子） keyboard, a microphone and speakers（扬声器）. Simran stared. “Have you ever written a poem?” Anita Kruse continued. “Well, yes,” Simran said.
Within minutes, Simran was reading her poem into the microphone. “Some bird soaring through the sky,” she said softly. “Imagination in its head…” Anita Kruse added piano music, a few warbling (鸣, 唱) birds, and finally the girl’s voice. Thirty minutes later, she presented Simran with a CD of her first recorded song.
That was the beginning of Anita Kruse’s project, Purple Songs Can Fly, one that has helped more than 125 young patients write and record songs. As a composer（作曲家） and pianist who had performed at the hospital, Kruse said that the idea of how she could help “came in one flash”.
The effect on the kids has been great. One teenage girl, curling (蜷缩) in pain in her wheelchair, stood unaided to dance to a hip-hop song she had written. A 12-year-old boy with Hodgkin’s disease who rarely spoke surprised his doctors with a song he called I Can Make It.
“My time with the kids is heartbreaking because of the severity of their illnesses,” says Anita Kruse. “But they also make you happy, when the children are smiling, excited to share their CD with their families.”
Simran is now an active sixth grader and cancer-free. From time to time, she and her mother listen to her song, Always Remembering, and they always remember the “really sweet and nice and loving” lady who gave them a shining moment in the dark hour.
1. Simran Jatar lay in bed in hospital because ______.
A. most of her hair had fallen out
B. she was receiving treatment for cancer
C. she felt depressed（沮丧的） and quit from school
D. she was suffering from a pain in her back
2.What do we know about Anita Kruse’s project?
A. It helps young patients record songs.
B. It is supported by singers and patients.
C. It aims to replace the medical treatment.
D. It offers patients chances to realize their dreams.
3.What does the case（实例） of a 12-year-old boy suggest?
A. Most children are naturally fond of music.
B. He was brave enough to put up performance.
C. The project has positive effect on young patients.
D. Singing is the best way to treat some illnesses.
4. What is probably the best title for the passage?
A. Purple Songs Can Fly
B. Singing Can Improve Health
C. A Shining Moment in Life
D. A Kind Woman—Anita Kruse
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
It was a hot June day at McKinney Falls State Park in Austin, Texas, Sammy was on a camping trip with his parents and his brothers. He couldn’t to get into the water.
With his father keeping a(n) from the rocks above, Sammy jumped in. Having played in the water for a while, he pulled himself out and watched a group of children walk above. Suddenly, a tiny five-year-old girl to grab a bottle and lost her balance. In an instant, she was over the falls.
Sammy caught sight of the girl’s arm and the of her dark head as the water pushed her into the water . She fought for life in the deep water. Sammy took a few seconds to consider the , and then he dived in. He was next to the girl in a few seconds. She was and tried to climb on top of him. Sammy says, “I stayed calm, but inside, my heart was beating .”
When he was an arm’s away from the girl, he carefully the anxious girl onto his back and the rock wall around the edge of the waterfall toward the shore. Soon, someone pulled of them from the water with a swimming float. They were safe then.
When his mother walked onto the and saw the crowd gathering near the swimming hole, she fell into . Then a woman came up and told her that Sammy had saved a little girl’s life. “Sammy says he can’t do it ,” she says. “But I know he can because of who he is.” Now a seventh grader, Sammy , “I didn’t really think about the when I got into the water.”
1.A. help B. pause C. wait D. afford
2.A. eye B. smile C. gesture D. distance
3.A. unwillingly B. immediately C. eventually D. professionally
4.A. reached down B. came up C. turned down D. went around
5.A. wiped B. blown C. beaten D. swept
6.A. image B. top C. appearance D. sign
7.A. beneath B. above C. behind D. around
8.A. request B. operation C. result D. situation
9.A. challenging B. wandering C. struggling D. thrilling
10.A. blue B. panicked C. confused D. upset
11.A. wildly B. irregularly C. slowly D. consciously
12.A. measure B. range C. width D. length
13.A. forced B. pulled C. pushed D. removed
14.A. struck B. followed C. jumped D. felt
15.A. one B. another C. either D. both
16.A. edge B. platform C. ground D. scene
17.A. pride B. embarrassment C. silence D. fantasy
18.A. alone B. again C. then D. altogether
19.A. admits B. denies C. apologizes D. responds
20.A. effects B. consequences C. fame D. condition
高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Brandon and Derek's mother, Beth Lash, shared a Facebook video on Dec. 25, 2017. It captured the moment when Brandon_________his card out loud. On Brandon Lash's 24th birthday, his little brother, Derek,_________him with a rather large card filled with an even bigger_______.
“I have always_______ you," Brandon reads from the front of the card, _______ by his brother.
"I love spending time with you... I'm so _______ I have you for my brother. You have always been there for me, even though I get on your nerves sometimes. You will always have a piece of my heart," Brandon continues, opening up the _______ .
"And now you will have my_______, too. We are a _______ match," Brandon reads,__________the card to the floor and breaking down into ________
Brandon has kidney disease and is currently in chronic(慢性的) failure and has extremely low kidney function. He receives__________three times a week, and was told that he had been recommended for the transplant list. Unfortunately, his parents are not a match, but__________his brother is.
“I can’t believe Derek would__________so much all this for me,” Brandon tells the publication. “He's giving me a__________to have a healthy life again. I__________can't believe it's happening.”
“I__________seeing him sick and knew something needed to be done to make him healthy again,” Derek adds. "Not only was it the__________thing to do, but the only thing to do. He's my brother... We didn't know__________he could be on the transplant list, and I knew I just wanted my__________brother back."
1.A.read B.sang C.called D.shouted
2.A.provided B.issued C.presented D.supplied
3.A.claim B.award C.smile D.surprise
4.A.taken charge of B.looked up to C.got hold of D.lived up to
5.A.signed B.drawn C.written D.described
6.A.thankful B.satisfied C.awkward D.confused
7.A.paper B.card C.book D.cover
8.A.nerves B.eyes C.kidney D.heart
9.A.perfect B.possible C.equal D.friendly
10.A.losing B.dropping C.throwing D.blowing
11.A.screams B.worries C.laughs D.tears
12.A.treatments B.experiments C.directions D.observations
13.A.finally B.possibly C.luckily D.exactly
14.A.advise B.experience C.allow D.sacrifice
15.A.chance B.fortune C.accident D.occasion
16.A.always B.already C.forever D.still
17.A.regretted B.minded C.hated D.opposed
18.A.fair B.right C.normal D.real
19.A.when B.how long C.how much D.while
20.A.lovely B.brave C.honest D.healthy
高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
On April 11 Lincoln, Mrs Lincoln and two friends were spending night in talk, when Lincoln suddenly began to discuss his dreams. “I had one the other night. About 10 days ago I went to bed very36. I had been up 37 for important letters from the White House for a long time. I could not have been 38 in bed when I fell into sleep. I soon began to 39. There seemed to be a dead silence about me. Then I heard sobs(抽泣)，40 a number of people were weeping. I thought I left my bed and 41 downstairs. There the silence was broken by some pitiful(令人可怜的) sobbing, but the mourners(送葬者)were 42.I went from room to room, no living person was in sight; but the same mournful sounds of distress(悲痛) met me as I 43along. It was light in all the rooms;44 was well known to me，but 45were all the people who were sobbing as if their hearts would 46? I was puzzled and frightened. What could be the 47 of all this? I kept on walking until I arrived at the East Room, which I 48. Before me was a dead body. Around it were soldiers who were acting as 49; there were some people 50 pitifully. ‘‘Who is dead in the White House?” I asked.
“The president，” was the answer.
“It’s 51!”I said to myself and was surprised. How did he die?”
“He was killed by an assassinator (暗杀者)!” was the answer.
“52 came a loud burst of crying from the crowd，which woke me from my dream. I slept 53that night, and although it was54 a dream I have been rather angry about it 55.”
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高二英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Brandon and Derek's mother, Beth Lash, shared a Facebook video on Dec. 25, 2017. It captured the moment when Brandon ______ his card out loud. On Brandon Lash's 24th birthday, his little brother, Derek, ______ him with a rather large card filled with an even bigger ______.
“I have always _______you," Brandon reads from the front of the card,_______ by his brother.
"I love spending time with you... I'm so ______ I have you for my brother. You have always been there for me, even though I get on your nerves sometimes. You will always have a piece of my heart," Brandon continues, opening up the ______
"And now you will have my ______, too. We are a ______ match," Brandon reads, ______ the card to the floor and breaking down into_____
Brandon has kidney disease and is currently in chronic(慢性的) failure and has extremely low kidney function. He receives _______three times a week, and was told that he had been recommended for the transplant list. Unfortunately, his parents are not a match, but________his brother is.
“I can’t believe Derek would _______so much all this for me,” Brandon tells the publication. “He's giving me a________to have a healthy life again. I ______ can't believe it's happening.”
“I________seeing him sick and knew something needed to be done to make him healthy again,” Derek adds. "Not only was it the _______thing to do, but the only thing to do. He's my brother... We didn't know _______he could be on the transplant list, and I knew I just wanted my_______ brother back."
1.A. read B. sang C. called D. shouted
2.A. provided B. issued C. presented D. supplied
3.A. claim B. award C. smile D. surprise
4.A. taken charge of B. looked up to C. got hold of D. lived up to
5.A. signed B. drawn C. written D. described
6.A. thankful B. satisfied C. awkward D. confused
7.A. paper B. card C. book D. cover
8.A. nerves B. eyes C. kidney D. heart
9.A. perfect B. possible C. equal D. friendly
10.A. losing B. dropping C. throwing D. blowing
11.A. screams B. worries C. laughs D. tears
12.A. treatments B. experiments C. directions D. observations
13.A. finally B. possibly C. luckily D. exactly
14.A. advise B. experience C. allow D. sacrifice
15.A. chance B. fortune C. accident D. occasion
16.A. always B. already C. forever D. still
17.A. regretted B. minded C. hated D. opposed
18.A. fair B. right C. normal D. real
19.A. when B. how long C. how much D. while
20.A. lovely B. brave C. honest D. healthy
高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Ieshia Champs, 33, _______ her law degree at Texas Southern University in April. She also gained online _______when she uploaded _______photos of herself on Facebook, which quickly went viral.
On Monday, she posted an update on Facebook along with a letter from the Texas Board of Law Examiner _______ she passed the exam.
According to the letter, she will need to finish her _______process in order to become a practicing attorney (执业律师) in Texas.
Ieshia said she wanted to be a lawyer from a young age, _______countless hardships throughout her life. While pregnant with her fourth baby, Ieshia said her home was destroyed by a fire, and she _______her job and her husband died of cancer.
“Nobody told me what to do. I really didn’t have any _______income at that time. My mom was addicted to drugs. My dad was dead. And I was homeless,” Ieshia said. “I lived with _______or whoever would take me in.”
But Ieshia said her success could be ________to her children, who often helped their mother as she was ________to earn her degree.
“When I look at the pictures, I cry, I smile, and I’m very ________,” Ieshia told CBS News. “I see a woman who at one time knew that the ________were against her. Looking at the ________reminds me of the fact that I didn’t just defy the difficulties, my children and I ________them.”
1.A.reached B.lost C.missed D.earned
2.A.money B.support C.access D.fame
3.A.graduation B.passport C.school D.wedding
4.A.predicting B.foreseeing C.confirming D.broadcasting
5.A.working B.licensing C.preparing D.instructing
6.A.despite B.beyond C.without D.unlike
7.A.found B.lost C.changed D.moved
8.A.gentle B.marriage C.stable D.strict
9.A.strangers B.parents C.colleagues D.friends
10.A.good B.credited C.bad D.close
11.A.planning B.resting C.studying D.serving
12.A.annoyed B.devoted C.grateful D.regretful
13.A.children B.world C.fate D.difficulties
14.A.letters B.pictures C.posts D.notes
15.A.destroyed B.followed C.built D.admitted
高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
—The light in the office is still on.
— Oh I forgot _______.
A.turning it off B.turn it off C.to turn it off D.having turned it off
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析