When my mother was alive, she used to tell me...

When my mother was alive, she used to tell me again and again about the value of just being nice. “Never underestimate（低估）the power of a smile,” she would say. I fear she would be very disappointed looking at the world today. A lot of people don’t smile and when it comes to service today, they’re just not nice. Now don’t give me wrong, not all service workers but a good many.

I was on the phone the other day with a computer help desk. First a man, then later a woman, who couldn’t have been ruder. And this to a customer, who didn’t know his way around a PC. But no matter, I could tell they thought I was a bother, The woman, in fact, seemed to be chewing gum as she unemotionally clicked off a series of commands for me to perform.

The next day I heard from a friend of mine who got a performance review without his boss once looking up at him. Not once.

You see it everywhere. Gone are the days when people cared about you. It’s a sign of the time, I suspect. But that makes me sad — for them and for us all. People who aren’t happy, who don’t smile, who don’t kid, who don’t joke or make light of even bad situations, make for an even worse situation.

And it spreads like a cancer. Someone’s rude to you, you’re rude to them and to the next fellow you meet, and on and on. Smiles are contagious（易感染的）but so annoyances. The boss who can’t be bothered with his workers. The celebrity who can’t be bothered with her annoying fans.

You know, my mom used to judge presidential candidates by how they smiled. I would say, “But mom, you don’t know if that smile is real.”

“Oh, yes I do,” she would tell me. “I can feel it.”

It’s in their eyes, she would say. And it’s in their smile. The rest just kind of falls into place.

1.Why did the writer mention his phone call?

A. To prove his mother is wrong.

B. To show many people aren’t nice.

C. To tell us he knows little about computer.

D. To share his funny experience with us.

2.What is the author’s attitude towards the boss of his friend?

A. Opposed.　　　　 B. Doubtful.

C. Respectful.　　 D. Supportive.

3.When someone is rude to you, you’re advised to ________.

A. be rude to the next person

B. be nice to the people you meet

C. become one just like him or her

D. make for a worse situation

4.What’s the best title of the passage?

A. The power of a smile

B. Don’t judge a person by his look

C. The effect of rudeness

D. Feel a person in his eyes

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

My mother got divorced when I was 5 and was left to raise me and my two younger brothers. She didn’t have a formal education, so she had to work two full-time jobs to make ends meet.

One day several years later, I was determined to help. I told the manager of the Don Carlos Motel in Nana Point that I was 15, so I could get a work permit to work as a maid.

Since then, I’ve started to work alongside some of America’s top leaders, written books, and achieved financial independence. It took a lot of hard work and sacrifices.

But what if I was 15 years old today? Would I be able to accomplish the same things in this new, highly competitive world with so many global challenges? It seems hard work and sacrifices aren’t enough anymore.

Today, you need to be extremely adaptable. To progress in your career, it’s not enough to know one thing well. As my friend Sean Harvey, product manager at Google put it when we were speaking to students, “Today, companies aren’t hiring people for a specific position but rather people who are smart and flexible. The way you prove that is by showing you can do multiple things well.”

People need to take more risks to succeed now than ever. The combination of unemployment and slow wage growth means that we are not only at greater financial risk, but we have to take more risks to succeed.

Luckily, the new Internet world of all-the-time connectedness means that anyone with a hot idea, product or service can create a business out of almost nothing. And success can be quick and big. But that success demands more “out of the box” thinking.

And what about our kids? It makes me think a lot about the future that my 3-years-old daughter faces. But no matter what the future brings, I think the best message I’ll give her is to believe in herself. Life won’t get any easier, but the opportunities will come — as they always have — to those who work hard, adapt as they need to, and trust their abilities.

1.We can infer that the author had _________.

A. a difficult childhood　　　　　　 　　 B. a lonely childhood

C. a normal childhood　　　　　　　　　　 D. a happy childhood

2.The author achieved financial independence when she was 15 largely due to ______.

A. her strong leadership

B. her boss’s help

C. her hard work

D. her competitive spirit

3. Compared to the past, people who want to succeed now need __________.

A. more time　　 　　 B. more money

C. to work harder　　 D. to be more creative

4. The author writes the text mainly to __________.

A. describe her childhood

B. give some suggestions about success

C. tell a story about her mother

D. share some useful parenting skills

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

“Tell me again how you learned to ride a horse,” I would ask my father when I was a little girl in Denmark. I was no more than four years old—too little to learn to ride a horse by myself. But I liked to hear my father tell his story. And then he would begin.

“When I was a little boy, as little as you are now,” he would say, “I wanted to ride the horses. But I was too small to mount a horse. So I would slip into my father’s stables to be with the horses and admire them. Such big, powerful animals they were!

“The gentle workhorses stood quietly in their stalls, eating their hay. I would climb up the side of one of the stalls and slide over onto the horse’s back.

“Then I would hold its mane and imagine us running quickly over the grasslands, down to the shore, and even into the sea.

“When I grew tall enough to mount a horse,” he said, “my wish came true.”

“You swim with the horses now,” I said. “You even swim with Fiery. And he has spirit!”

Everybody knew about Fiery, the great black male horse with the fierce temper, and how he behaved when he first came to the stables. He raised itself on its back legs with the front legs in the air. He snorted and kicked. He rolled his eyes. And everyone was afraid of him. Everyone, except my father.

I wanted to hear more. “Now tell me how you made Fiery your friend,” I begged. This was my favorite story.

“Well, little Else,” my father went on, “I just talked to him. I talked as a friend. You must talk to a horse like Fiery.

“I’d say, ‘No, little horse. No, my friend. You can’t run free. You must learn to let me ride you.’

“And soon Fiery began to listen. He knew from my voice that I would be his friend.”

So Fiery let my father teach him to carry a rider. Then Fiery would take my father across the soft green grasslands or even into the lively waters of the northern sea. I loved to see Father riding Fiery without a saddle(马鞍) into the sea. There they swam, Father and Fiery, out in the cold, clear water.

Often I would watch them from the shore, holding tight to my mother’s hand. They swam so bravely. I was so proud of them!

Then Father and Fiery would come splashing out of the water and run along the shore toward us. They made a fine stop—just in time!

Fiery towered over us. He tossed his head and shook sea water from his shining black coat.

Father was laughing and patting Fiery’s neck.

And I was making a wish.

I wished that someday I could have a horse, too . . . but a smaller one!

1.What is Fiery like when he first comes to the stables?

A. He is quiet and lazy.

B. He is wild and full of spirit.

C. He makes friends with everyone.

D. He only lets Else’s father ride him.

2.Where does Else most like to watch her father ride Fiery?

A. At the seashore.     B. On the farm.

C. In the grasslands.     D. In the stables.

3.In the passage, the underlined word “mount” means___________.

A. feed with    B. talk about     C. fasten to     D. climb onto

4.How does Else feel about horses after watching her father ride Fiery?

A. She wants a horse just like Fiery.

B. She has no interest in riding horses.

C. She would like to have a smaller horse.

D. She thinks horses should not go into the sea.

5.What does Else learn from her father’s story?

A. How to train a workhorse.

B. How to swim with a horse.

C. How to make friends with a horse.

D. How to ride a horse without a saddle.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Honesty，my mum always used to tell me，is the best policy．Of course，this didn’t include her when she told me that if I didn’t eat all my vegetables Father Christmas would find out and wouldn’t give me any presents．

But when it comes to medicine．I had assumed it was important to always be honest with my patients．After all，the doctor-patient relationship is based on trust，and therefore honesty is essential．Or so I thought．

I had just started working in geriatrics(老年病科)．Mr. McMahon was brought in when his belly was found very swollen．I took a medical history from his daughter who’d accompanied him in the ambulance．She’d been his main carer for years．I stood looking at him as she gave a detailed history．“Has he lost any weight recently?”I asked．“Well，it’s funny you should mention that，but yes．”she said slowly．There was silence for a few moments．“Why? What are you worried about?”she asked．I hesitated．She was obviously very involved in his care and it was only fair that I told her the truth．“Well．we need to prove it’s not cancer．”I said and talked briefly about some of the tests I was going to order．

Half an hour later, a nurse called me：“Mr. McMahon’s daughter broke down--she said you told her he had cancer．”My heart sank．By the time I arrived at the ward，my consultant was already there，explaining that we still had to run lots of tests and that it was by no means confirmed that he had cancer．I stood silently at the end of the bed．My consultant was obviously angry with me and as we left Mr. McMahon，she turned to me．“Why on earth did you do that?”she asked in disbelief．I looked at her and bit my lip．“She asked me what I was worried about and I told her．”I said，hanging my head．“And give her more to worry about?”replied my consultant．“You don’t say the word‘cancer’until it’s confirmed．Even if you suspect it，think very carefully before you tell people.”

As it turned out, it wasn’t cancer．But I did learn that when someone is stressed and worried about their loved one they’re sometimes selective in what they hear and as a doctor it’s important to be mindful of this．In being truthful，I’d made the situation worse．

1.The purpose of the first two paragraphs is to show that the author_____．

2.The author’s consultant was angry with him because________．

3.The author hung his head (the underlined part in Paragraph 4) because he was feeling________．

4.What lesson has the author learnt from his experience?

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

When I was little, my mother used to sit by my bed, ______ me stories till I fell asleep.

A．having told        B．telling            C．told              D．to tell

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

I began working in journalism(新闻工作)when I was eight. It was my mother’s idea. She wanted me to “make something” of myself, and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.

With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union. For several hours I made myself highly visible, making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. When it was suppertime, I walked back home.

“ How many did you sell, my boy?” my mother asked.

“ None.”

“ Where did you go?”

“ The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”

“ What did you do?”

“ Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”

“ You just stood there?”

“ Didn’t sell a single one.”

“ My God, Russell!”

Uncle Allen put in, “ Well, I’ve decided to take the Post.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickle(五分镍币). It was the first nickle I earned.

Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence(自信), and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.

One day, I told my mother I’d changed my mind. I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.

“ If you think you can change your mind like this,” she replied, “ you’ll become a good-for-nothing.” She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.

My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But never did she expect that, forty years later, such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.

1.Why did the boy start his job young?

A. He wanted to be famous in the future.

B. The job was quite easy for him.

C. His mother had high hopes for him.

D. The competiton for the job was fierce.

2.From the dialogue between the boy and his mother, we learn that the mother was _______.

A. excited B. interested     C. ashamed    D. disappointed

3.What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up?

A. She forced him to continue.       B. She punished him.

C. She gave him some money.       D. She changed her plan.

4. What does the underlined phrase “this battle”(last paragraph) refer to?

A. The war between the boy’s parents.

B. The arguing between the boy and his mother.

C. The quarrel between the boy and his customers.

D. The fight between the boy and his father.

5. What is the text mainly about?

A. The early life of a journalist.

B. The early success of a journalist.

C. The happy childhood of the writer.

D. The important role of the writer in his family.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

I began working in journalism when I was eight. It was my mother’s idea. She wanted me to “make something” of myself, and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.

With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union. For several hours I made myself highly visible, making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. When it was suppertime, I walked back home.

“ How many did you sell, my boy?” my mother asked.

“ None.”

“ Where did you go?”

“ The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”

“ What did you do?”

“ Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”

“ You just stood there?”

“ Didn’t sell a single one.”

“ My God, Russell!”

Uncle Allen put in, “ Well, I’ve decided to take the Post.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickel. It was the first nickel I earned.

Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence, and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.

One day, I told my mother I’d changed my mind. I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.

“ If you think you can change your mind like this,” she replied, “ you’ll become a good-for-nothing.” She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.

My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But never did she expect that, forty years later, such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.

1.Why did the boy start his job young?

2.From the dialogue between the boy and his mother, we learn that the mother was _______.

3.What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up?

4.What is the text mainly about?

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

(2013·重庆高考)When I was little, my mother used to sit by my bed, ________ me stories till I fell asleep.

A．having told　 　　　　　　 　　　　　 B．telling

C．told　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．to tell

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

I began working in journalism(新闻工作) when I was eight.It was my mother’s idea.She wanted me to“make something”of myself,and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.

With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue.The crowds were there.There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union.For several hours I made myself highly visible,making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST.When it was suppertime,I walked back home.

“How many did you sell,my boy?”my mother asked.

“None.”

“Where did you go?”

“The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”

“What did you do?”

“Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”

“You just stood there?”

“Didn’t sell a single one.”

“My God,Russell!”

Uncle Allen put in,“Well,I’ve decided to take the Post.”I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickel(五分镍币).It was the first nickel I earned.

Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman.I would have to ring doorbells,address adults with self-confidence(自信),and persuade them by saying that no one,no matter how poor,could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.

One day,I told my mother I’d changed my mind.I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.

“If you think you can change your mind like this,”she replied,“you’ll become a good-for-nothing.”She insisted that,as soon as school was over,I should start ringing doorbells,selling magazines.Whenever I said no,she would scold me.

My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember.My mother,dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life,determined that I would not grow up like him and his people.But never did she expect that,forty years later,such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.

1.Why did the boy start his job young?

A.He wanted to be famous in the future.

B.The job was quite easy for him.

C.His mother had high hopes for him.

D.The competition for the job was fierce.

2.From the dialogue between the boy and his mother,we learn that the mother was _______.

A.excited                                   B.interested

C.ashamed                               D.disappointed

3.What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up?

A.She forced him to continue.

B.She punished him.

C.She gave him some money.

D.She changed her plan.

4.What does the underlined phrase “this battle”(last paragraph) refer to?

A.The war between the boy’s parents.

B.The arguing between the boy and his mother.

C.The quarrel between the boy and his customers.

D.The fight between the boy and his father.

5.What is the text mainly about?

A.The early life of a journalist.

B.The early success of a journalist.

C.The happy childhood of the writer.

D.The important role of the writer in his family.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

I began working in journalism(新闻工作) when I was eight.It was my mother’s idea.She wanted me to“make something”of myself,and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.

With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue.The crowds were there.There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union.For several hours I made myself highly visible,making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST.When it was suppertime,I walked back home.

“How many did you sell,my boy?”my mother asked.

“None.”

“Where did you go?”

“The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”

“What did you do?”

“Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”

“You just stood there?”

“Didn’t sell a single one.”

“My God,Russell!”

Uncle Allen put in,“Well,I’ve decided to take the Post.”I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickel(五分镍币).It was the first nickel I earned.

Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman.I would have to ring doorbells,address adults with self-confidence(自信),and persuade them by saying that no one,no matter how poor,could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.

One day,I told my mother I’d changed my mind.I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.

“If you think you can change your mind like this,”she replied,“you’ll become a good-for-nothing.”She insisted that,as soon as school was over,I should start ringing doorbells,selling magazines.Whenever I said no,she would scold me.

My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember.My mother,dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life,determined that I would not grow up like him and his people.But never did she expect that,forty years later,such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.

1.Why did the boy start his job young?

2.From the dialogue between the boy and his mother,we learn that the mother was _______.

3.What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up?

4.What does the underlined phrase “this battle”(last paragraph) refer to?

5.What is the text mainly about?

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析