Essay
| Epic Fails: The Wright Brothers: Nose-Diving into History By Erik Slader and Ben Thompson. Ages 6 to 12. The first book in the Epic Fails series deals with one of the most ambitious goals humans have pursued: the quests to fly. Authors Slader and Thompson focus on life-or-death scenes, such as when the Wright brothers crashed their glider over and over on the sandy coast of North Carolina; it took them two more years to get it right. |
| Epic Fails: The Race to Space: Countdown to Liftoff By Erik Slader and Ben Thompson. Ages 6 to 12 Today, everyone is familiar with Neil Armstrong’s famous words as he first set foot on the moon, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” He made it look easy, but America’s journey to the moon was anything but simple. Our first attempt was a failure. Still, we didn’t give up. We tried again. And again. And each time we failed, we failed a little bit better. |
| Fantastic Failures: True Stories of People Who Changed the World by Falling Down First By Luke Reynolds. Ages 6 to 12. Teacher Luke Reynolds opens each chapter with a quick, impossibly perfect version of one person’s life and then says how that person actually had to face huge challenges to accomplish goals. In this book, Reynolds writes about various common men, women and children. |
| Cyrus Field’s Big dream：The Daring Effort to Lay the First Transatlantic Telegraph Cable By Mary Morton Cowan. Ages 6 to 12. In 1853，it took at least a week to relay a message between the United States and Europe because people had to be transported on ships over the Atlantic Ocean. Cyrus Field tried to reduce that transmission（传送）time to just minutes by laying a long undersea cable. In this book，Cowan describes many failures Field suffered before he achieved this major breakthrough. |
1.Who are the four books intended for?
A.Children. B.Teenagers. C.Adults. D.Old people.
2.What do we know about Fantastic Failures?
A.It was written by a famous actor. B.It tells stories of ordinary people.
C.It is about science fiction stories. D.It is a picture book by a teacher.
3.What lesson can we learn from the four books?
A.All roads lead to Rome. B.Failure is the mother of success.
C.An early bird catches worms D.Actions speak louder than words.
高二英语阅读选择简单题
Essay
| Epic Fails: The Wright Brothers: Nose-Diving into History By Erik Slader and Ben Thompson. Ages 6 to 12. The first book in the Epic Fails series deals with one of the most ambitious goals humans have pursued: the quests to fly. Authors Slader and Thompson focus on life-or-death scenes, such as when the Wright brothers crashed their glider over and over on the sandy coast of North Carolina; it took them two more years to get it right. |
| Epic Fails: The Race to Space: Countdown to Liftoff By Erik Slader and Ben Thompson. Ages 6 to 12 Today, everyone is familiar with Neil Armstrong’s famous words as he first set foot on the moon, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” He made it look easy, but America’s journey to the moon was anything but simple. Our first attempt was a failure. Still, we didn’t give up. We tried again. And again. And each time we failed, we failed a little bit better. |
| Fantastic Failures: True Stories of People Who Changed the World by Falling Down First By Luke Reynolds. Ages 6 to 12. Teacher Luke Reynolds opens each chapter with a quick, impossibly perfect version of one person’s life and then says how that person actually had to face huge challenges to accomplish goals. In this book, Reynolds writes about various common men, women and children. |
| Cyrus Field’s Big dream：The Daring Effort to Lay the First Transatlantic Telegraph Cable By Mary Morton Cowan. Ages 6 to 12. In 1853，it took at least a week to relay a message between the United States and Europe because people had to be transported on ships over the Atlantic Ocean. Cyrus Field tried to reduce that transmission（传送）time to just minutes by laying a long undersea cable. In this book，Cowan describes many failures Field suffered before he achieved this major breakthrough. |
1.Who are the four books intended for?
A.Children. B.Teenagers. C.Adults. D.Old people.
2.What do we know about Fantastic Failures?
A.It was written by a famous actor. B.It tells stories of ordinary people.
C.It is about science fiction stories. D.It is a picture book by a teacher.
3.What lesson can we learn from the four books?
A.All roads lead to Rome. B.Failure is the mother of success.
C.An early bird catches worms D.Actions speak louder than words.
高二英语阅读选择简单题查看答案及解析
That two bicycle salesmen were the first people to fly is as surprising today as it was over a century ago. In 1903 , the Wright brothers flew above the crowd at a public exhibition in the United States. For a long period, the whole world was still in shock.
The Wrights’ success is worth reviewing today because it challenges the 21st century's belief that, for young engineers, courses in arts and humanities are not as important as math and science. In fact, however, neither of the Wright brothers went to college or had any formal technical training.
To see what we can learn from the Wright brothers today, we must consider what made them different then. The Wright brothers grew up in a family where there was always encouragement on curiosity. The bookshelves in their home were filled with novels, poetry, and ancient history. The Wrights’parents had great curiosity for learning. They encouraged their children to read widely and find out the truth on their own. In their late 20s , the Wrights began reading books on the movement of bird wings , which led to their original air-control system.
The Wright brothers often compared themselves to artists because their invention had a lot to do with arts. For example, the art of flying was actually a complicated dance between man, machine and air, which required thousands of hours of practice to perfect. Technical skills and math were certainly necessary to build the machine, but much of the challenge lay in the art of flying in order to have beautiful lines during flight and landing.
If today’s schools hope to have more extraordinary engineers, they should broaden the limited academic requirements and encourage students to be curious about different subjects as the Wright brothers did.
1.What was peopled attitude to the Wright brothers, flight in Paragraph 1?
A.They were eager to fly. B.They wondered its safety.
C.They were shocked at it. D.They doubted if it was true.
2.Which of the following led to the brothers, success according to the passage?
A.Formal technical training. B.Research on birds' movement.
C.Math and science in college. D.Curiosity about finding the truth.
3.What does the passage encourage today's schools to do?
A.To abandon academic requirements on learning.
B.To encourage students to be artists and engineers.
C.To broaden students’ knowledge about the Wright brothers.
D.To be supportive to students' curiosity on different courses.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Once upon a time，two brothers who lived on neighboring farms fell into conflict(冲突)．It was the first serious one between them in 40 years of farming peacefully side by side. In the end，they fell apart.
One morning，a man with a carpenter's toolbox came for some work. The elder brother said，“I just have a job for you. Look at that farm across the creek(河沟)．My younger brother lives there. It was he who used his bulldozer(推土机)to dig the creek last week to spite(刁难)me. So I want you to build me a fence，an 8foothigh fence，in order not to see his place any more.”The carpenter smiled and said，“I see. I'll try to do a job that satisfies you.”Then the elder brother went downtown.
At sunset when the farmer returned，the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer's eyes opened wide! To his surprise，there was no fence there at all！Instead, there was a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work! He saw his younger brother coming to him with the hands outstretching. The brothers stood at each end of the bridge，and then they met in the middle，taking each other's hands. They turned to see the carpenter lift his toolbox on his shoulder. “No，wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other work for you，” said the elder brother.“I'd love to stay on，”the carpenter said，“but I have so many more bridges to build.”
1.What was the life like for the two brothers before the conflict?
A．They lived a poor life.
B．They lived in peace.
C．They never spoke to each other.
D. They lived on the same farm.
2.It can be learned that the carpenter was __________.
A. unwilling to obey the farmer.
B. fond of building bridges.
C. unable to build a fence
D. willing to help others.
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A．The elder brother used his bulldozer to dig a creek.
B．The elder brother helped the carpenter build the bridge.
C．The brothers were both satisfied with the carpenter's work.
D．The carpenter planned to build an 8foothigh fence as asked to.
4.The best title for this passage is ________.
A．A Fine Piece of Work
B．A Carpenter
C．A Conflict Between Two Brothers
D．Two Brothers
高二英语简单题查看答案及解析
My People, My Country, an epic seven-part anthology(选集) to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, records the nation's greatest technological and cultural achievements.
Each part focuses not on the heroes of the hour, but on everyday people and how their lives connect personally with China's advancement.
The opening part by Guan Hu, The Eve, sees an engineer, played by Huang Bo, race against time to perfect an automatic flag-raising mechanism before the ceremony in 1949 to mark the founding of the People's Republic of China.
The second story, directed by Zhang Yibai, is about a scientist working on China's first atomic bomb who had to bid farewell forever to his lover in the 1960s.
In Xu Zheng's lighthearted offering, The Champion, a young boy must secure a TV aerial(天线) to the roof of his home so his neighbours can watch the Chinese women's volleyball team play in the 1984 Olympic final.
Going Home is about Hong Kong's return to China in 1997. It focuses on a Chinese soldier tasked with hoisting the national flag on the stroke of midnight.
Hello, Beijing, is about a taxi driver who gets a ticket of the opening ceremony of 2008 Beijing Olympics. Though he planned to give it as a birthday gift to his son, who had been away from him for a long time, the good-hearted man gives the ticket to another child suffering from Wenchuan Earthquake.
One for All, directed by Wen Muye, focuses on a top female fighter jet pilot who helps her fellow pilots complete a smooth aerial performance, part of the military parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in 2015.
1.What does the underlined word “hoisting” in Paragraph 6 probably mean?
A.mending B.buying
C.raising D.making
2.What do we know according to the passage?
A.The engineer finally got the mechanism working successfully.
B.The young boy watched the national volleyball team play.
C.The taxi driver didn’t give the ticket to his son because of lack of love.
D.The male fighter jet pilot finished the performance with team members.
3.Where does the passage probably come from?
A.a book review B.a film review
C.an ad D.a magazine
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Working with Kids - Volunteer in Peru!
Volunteers work with at - risk children in and around the historic city of Cusco, Peru. Placements include working in community centers, orphanages（孤儿院）, rural schools, and street children programs. Projects focus on providing boys and girls with shelter, food, and education. Various educational, recreational, and health projects are ongoing to support these unfortunate children. Volunteers work to help keep children off the street and to help provide them with a happy and productive childhood.
Depending on individual skills and interests, volunteers act as mentors（导师）, help children with their homework, organize sports and arts and crafts, and teach English. However, your care and support are the most important thing for these disadvantaged children.
This program is available year round and new programs begin every Monday. Volunteer programs are designed to lake place for as little as I week and up to I year.
NOTE: This, program qualifies for 3 - 4 university credits（学分）via our School of Record: California Suite University - Monterey Bay. To qualify, your program must be 4 weeks or longer.
Program Highlights:
1. Earn 3-4 university credits via our School of Record: California State University - Monterey Bay.
2. 2 hours/day of Spanish language classes are included in this program（optional）.
3. Cain international volunteer experience.
4. Improve your Spanish language skills.
5. Earn the President’s Volunteer Service Award（U. S. citizens）.
1.What is the program aimed to do?
A. To improve Cusco’s education.
B. To enrich the people’s life in Peru.
C. To support the poor families in Peru.
D. To ensure a better life for the needy children in Cusco.
2.What are volunteers supposed to do in this program?
A. Set up new schools.
B. Clean the orphanages.
C. Give the children academic help.
D. Involve the children in social practice.
3.Which of the following is not a benefit for volunteers in the program?
A. Earning university credits. B. Developing more interests.
C. Celling volunteer experience. D. Learning Spanish.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The values of artistic works, according to cultural relativism(相对主义), are simply reflections of local social and economic conditions. Such a view, however, fails to explain the ability of some works of art to excite the human mind across cultures and through centuries.
History has witnessed the endless productions of Shakespearean plays in every major language of the world. It is never rare to find that Mozart packs Japanese concert halls, as Japanese painter Hiroshige does Paris galleries, Unique works of this kind are different from today’s popular art, even if they began as works of popular art. They have set themselves apart in their timeless appeal and will probably be enjoyed for centuries into the future.
In a 1757 essay, the philosopher David Hume argued that because“the general principles of taste are uniform(不变的) in human nature,”the value of some works of art might be essentially permanent. He observed that Homer was still admired after two thousand years. Works of this type, he believed, spoke to deep and unvarying features of human nature and could continue to exist over centuries.
Now researchers are applying scientific methods to the study of the universality of art. For example, evolutionary psychology is being used by literary scholars to explain the long-lasting themes and plot devices in fiction. The structures of musical pieces are now open to experimental analysis as never before. Research findings seem to indicate that the creation by a great artist is as permanent an achievement as the discovery by a great scientist.
1.According to the passage, what do we know about cultural relativism?
A.It introduces different cultural values.
B.It explains the history of artistic works.
C.It relates artistic values to local conditions.
D.It excites the human mind throughout the world.
2.In Paragraph 2, the artists are mentioned in order to show that _____ .
A.great works of art can go beyond national boundaries
B.history gives art works special appeal to set them apart
C.popular arts are hardly distinguishable from great arts
D.great artists are skilled at combining various cultures
3.According to Hume, some works of art can exist for centuries because_____ .
A.they are results of scientific study
B.they establish some general principles of art
C.they are created by the world’s greatest artists
D.they appeal to unchanging features of human nature
4.Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?
A.Are Artistic Values Universal?
B.Are Popular Arts Permanent?
C.Is Human Nature Uniform?
D.Is Cultural Relativism Scientific?
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Alexander Bell is one of the most famous people in1._______ history of the United States. He is famous for the invention of the first telephone in the world. He is known for the invention of the first telephone in the world, 2.________ changed the way people communicate.
Telegraph lines could no longer meet the needs of the United States as a result of the rapid economic 3._______ (develop). So new lines had to be constructed4._______(improve) the communication. The U.S. turned to inventors for help and asked them to design a line sending several messages at once. Bell went to inventors to get support for his new idea, the telephone, and he got the money 5.______(need) for his work.
On March 10, 1876, Bell’s invention6._________(put) to the test. The first words spoken 7.______ a phone were to his assistant. “ Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you.” Watson heard Bell’s words8.________(clear) in the next room, and the telephone was born.
Bell’s greatest invention is the telephone, 9._________it is funny that he refused to have a phone in his work area. He felt phones were 10._________(annoy).
高二英语语法填空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
________ fails to realize the importance of improving the learning strategies will have great difficulty in learning.
A. Who B. Whoever C. What D. Whatever
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Steven Spielberg never fails to blow us away with his imagination.
The US director’s latest film Ready Player One, which was released in Chinese mainland cinemas on March 30, is a story set in the year 2045, when people escape their hopeless everyday lives by putting on a VR mask and entering a virtual (虚拟的) world named Oasis. This fantasy land is filled with characters and settings right out of classic films and videogames like The Shining and Overwatch. It’s a feast both for the eyes and mind. And at the age of 71, Spielberg is still “at the top of his game”, wrote reporter Rafer Guzman on Newsday.
Indeed, Spielberg has always been a gamer himself or rather a game changer. When his thriller Jaws came out in 1975, it struck a chord (引起共鸣) with audiences all over the world and kept people from going swimming for fear. The film was also the first example of what we now know as summer blockbusters.
“Jaws invented that form of pleasurable entertainment, wrote Stephen Marche on Esquire. It also turned sharks, in the popular imagination, from fish into monsters.”
And again, in his 1982 film E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial Spielberg challenged people’s beliefs that aliens are something to be feared by telling a story about a loving friendship between a space creature and a little boy. “Spielberg redefined popular sci-fi”, wrote Marc Lee on The Telegraph. “Extra-terrestrials no longer had to be a threat to humanity: the universe, he was saying, is also full of awe and wonder.”
Now comes Ready Player One. When Wade Watts, the film’s teenage protagonist (主角), finally prevents Oasis from falling into the wrong hands, he’s given ownership of the virtual world by its late designer James Halliday. But Watts makes a decision that he hopes will make people want to appreciate their real lives, instead of spending all their free time escaping reality in Oasis, which is a real-life message that Spielberg is trying to deliver to the audience.
1.What is the article mainly about?
A. Spielberg’s suggestions for other film directors.
B. Spielberg’s new film and his achievements.
C. The secret to Spielberg’s success.
D. The life journey of Spielberg.
2.Which film is considered the first example of a “summer blockbuster”?
A. The Shining
B. E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial
C. Jaws
D. Jurassic Park
3.Why is E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial special among all alien films?
A. It was the first film about aliens.
B. It questions the existence of aliens.
C. It describes aliens as something friendly.
D. It points out that aliens are a threat to humanity.
4.What message does Spielberg want to deliver with Ready Player One?
A. People should enjoy their real lives as much as they can.
B. People can find much pleasure in virtual worlds.
C. It’s difficult for people to escape reality.
D. People should have the right to choose whether to enter virtual worlds.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析