We've been traveling for a couple of months n...

A Schengen visa is a short-stay visa awarded to persons wishing to travel to one or many of the countries that make of the 26 European country Schengen Area. It grants (授予) each holder entry to all the countries in the area on a single visa. Several new Schengen visa application rules came into force in all countries on February 2, 2020. Check out some of the major changes:

Increased visa fees

The Schengen visa fee has increased from 60 euros to 80 for adults, while children aged between 6 and 12 now need to pay 40 euros instead of 35.

The rise in fees is to increase staff numbers, ensure stronger security screenings, and upgrade IT equipment and software, according to the European Commission.

Electronic application form

The application process has been greatly simplified. Schengen member　 states now accept electronic applications, and the application form can be signed and submitted electronically.

Longer application submission periods

Schengen visa applicants used to apply as early as three months ahead of their trip. Today applications can be submitted up to six months in advance.

Benefits for frequent travelers

Those who have previously visited the Schengen Area and have a positive visa history will be granted the opportunity to get a multiple-entry visa valid for up to five years. That is, people who have lawfully used their previous visas, have a good economic standing in their home countries, and intend to leave the area before their Schengen visa expires (过期) will now have the chance to get a visa for up to five years with multiple entries.

1.If a couple with a seven-year-old kid apply for Schengen visas, how much should they pay under the new rules?

A.45 euros. B.80 euros. C.155 euros. D.200 euros.

2.When applying for a Schengen visa now, you can　 .

A.upgrade your computer software

B.hand in an electronic application form

C.get all your materials ready before February 2

D.turn in your application 9 months in advance

3.To frequent travelers to the Schengen Area, the new rules are more　 .

A.specific B.complicated C.favourable D.rigid

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

Cory Nichol's whole life changed after he watched the documentary (纪录片) Hard Times. Lost on Long Island. This documentary follows four different families over six months as they struggle with unemployment. Cory knew he had to help any way that he could.

He founded an organization named “C the Difference”. The first step of his charity was to advertise. Using his own money, Cory had orange bracelets (手链) made. Now, he has sold the bracelets. A lot of people who are willing to donate bought them. “We've gotten donations from $5 to $500,” Cory said. “Every dollar really helps.”

Since founding the organization “C the Difference”, Cory has gotten the word out through e-mail and social media He has managed to get upwards of 7,500 and the amount will keep ring each month For Cox, his work is truly rewarding and he loves knowing that poll fortunate than him are really benefiting tom al the donations Once he said, “I was in the pantry (食品室) one time when a woman was taking food, and she was grateful for what I was doing That made me feel great.”

Cory's work has been truly remarkable. These past years he was recognized for “C the Difference” and was a recipient (获得者) of the New York State Prudential Spirit of Community Award. Cory was honored when he found out the news, and even more shocked When he found out that he was one of the only 102 winners out of the 28.000 applicants, As a recipient Cory got to travel to Washington D.C. with the other winners.

There are bright things in Cory's future. First, he wants to keep doing well in school. “I think school is really important to be successful in life.” In addition, Cory wants to keep “C the Difference” going through high school. “I am continuing to get donations, and to get younger kids and my peers involved to help each month”.

1.After watching the documentary, Cory _______.

A.set up a charity organization B.found a job in Long Island

C.donated money immediately D.felt the documentary interesting

2.Cory tried to raise enough money by _______.

A.wearing a ring and a bracelet B.spreading the word out

C.phoning to his friends D.collecting from his classmates

3.Cory felt _______ after he knew he was given an award.

A.proud and surprised B.interested and delighted

C.embarrassed and puzzled D.ashamed and frightened

4.We can infer from the passage that Cory will _______.

A.travel in Long Island alone B.stop raising money

C.study in Washington D.go on his charity

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

We've been traveling for a couple of months now and one thing we were most excited about was doing laundry.

Our_________in Corfu, Greece, was absolutely adorable-Angela is a professor of Ancient Greek. She met us by her place and _________ showed us around the apartment we'd_________ on Airbnb for a few days.

We hadn't stayed in a place with a(n) _________for weeks, so we all had an unpleasant smell around us and were in urgent _______of washing clothes. But when Angela got to the washing machine, she ___________ before replying. "I'm so sorry, "she said, "The washing machine is broken and nobody could come to _________it." I was a little angry when I heard this, she must have seen my face _________. "But if you need any _______ done, you can just give it to me and I will clean it and ________ it all for you in my home, "she told us.

We were__________ and thankful. As an Airbnb host, she went above and beyond. A day later, she __________ with freshly pressed clothes and we couldn't have been more__________. So when we left in the early hours of the morning, I ________ her a note and €50. She made our day, so we wanted to make hers ____________

1.A.friend B.cousin C.companion D.host

2.A.unwillingly B.suddenly C.kindly D.frequently

3.A.rented B.bought C.recommended D.decorated

4.A.refrigerator B.washing machine C.sewing machine D.air conditioner

5.A.queue B.process C.need D.honour

6.A.continued B.hesitated C.persuaded D.confused

7.A.conduct B.fix C.correct D.find

8.A.cure B.complain C.cheer D.fall

9.A.poster B.note C.laundry D.shopping

10.A.iron B.dry C.change D.ignore

11.A.alarmed B.inspired C.puzzled D.relieved

12.A.witnessed B.returned C.apologized D.prepared

13.A.thrilled B.fragile C.disappointed D.curious

14.A.took B.lent C.showed D.left

15.A.in vain B.in return C.in advance D.in turn

高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Renting an apartment in the UK can be very difficult. The average monthly rent rose to￡932last month and in London　 it is even more expensive at￡1588, according to new figures.

With the increasing rents leaving many people difficult to manage their daily life, some are now looking for new choices.

The Older Choice

Office administrator Tina Gotla-Aluri, 42, was struggling to pay￡950 a month for her because share in Putne, south-west London, when a friend suggested Share and Care Home share, which matches older homeowners who have a spare room with people who can offer practical help in exchange. She now lives in Putney with a man in his 90s and pays￡180 a month to the scheme (平台).

In return, Tina provides companionship, goes food shopping, and cooks meals. “He has travelled a lot in foreign countries and food is one of our shared interests,” she says. “I cook British food like Sunday dinners and sometimes Indian or Moroccan food. It's a win-win result.”

Sitting It out

While some people house-sit for free to get a taste of a different life for a few weeks, designer Jennifer Hamley, 39, and her husband, Ben, 37, have turned into a way to live rent-free.

The couple house-sit through Trusted House sitters.com, which connects home and pet owner a with house-sitters. It costs each side ￡89 for a yearly membership. They house-sit mainly in Brighton, taking care of pets, the home, post and watering plants.

“It is a peace of mind for homeowners. A homeowner doesn't need to get anyone to check in on the house, and pet owners don't have to worry about their pets while they are out.”

1.How much can Tina save a month after living with the old man in Putney?

A.￡180 B.￡770 C.￡932 D.￡950

2.What can be inferred about Tina?

A.She is a professional cook. B.She likes Indian food best.

C.She is satisfied with her choices. D.She has travelled to many places.

3.What do we know about Jennifer?

A.She has to pay the homeowner￡89 a year.

B.She house-sits to experience a different life.

C.She gets the information of house-sitting from a newspaper.

D.She looks after the home and pets when the homeowner is out.

4.From which part of a newspaper is the text most probably taken?

A.Entertainment B.Health C.Economy D.Education

高二英语阅读选择简单题查看答案及解析

Traveling is one of the most important activities and people have been interested in it for many years. Modern traffics develops fast, so traveling to different places has become much easier than before.

Staying healthy：while traveling can make your trip happier. But do you know how to keep healthy during a trip? The following information may be useful for you.

Before leaving：

● Wear comfortable shoes, a hat and sunglasses.

● Take some necessary medicine with you. They can be used when you get sick or have other problems.

● If you do lots of sports like walking or climbing on your trip, you should do some exercise for weeks or months before you leave.

While traveling：

● Be sure not to eat dirty food or bad fruit.

● Have enough time to take a rest during your trip.

● Tap water(自来水) is not safe, so drink bottled water and always clean the cover on the bottle.

1.The passage mainly talks about ________.

A. eating            B. traveling            drinking            D. shopping

2.If you do lots of sports while traveling, you should ________ before you leave.

A. do some exercise for weeks or months

B. learn more about sports

C. watch many sports games

D. buy a car

3.You should ________ before you leave your home for trip.

A. take some medicine with you

B. clean your house

C. drink much water

D. wear warm clothes

4.You had better ________ while you are having a trip.

A. do enough exercise

B. have enough time to take a rest

C. drink tap water

D. be too tired

5.If you ________ while travelling, your trip will be happier.

A. walk fast                        B. eat too much

C. keep healthy                        D. climb the mountain

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

I wanted a change of pace, a break from routine. The past few years found me working long hours at my marketing job while my husband, Steven, put in equally full days as a physics tutor. We were both burned out from the constant boredom.

Vacation experiences at first glance seem a little difficult for us. How do you find comfort in an ever-changing environment? And I, someone who enjoys more planned fun, had to adapt.

But I was surprised at how easily I was able to adapt to a new mode of operation, a more relaxed version of myself who wasn’t worried where we’d park and sleep each night. The fact that we both became so accustomed to sleeping in the back of a cargo van is another surprise we experienced on this journey. The van was our main transportation and, with a full-size bed in the back, it also provided us with a bit of comfort that made us continue. At first, every sound outside was foreign, and we both took longer to fall-and stay-asleep. But, after a couple of weeks into van life, we let the sounds fade into soft background music.

Over the course of our seven- month trip, one of our big goals was to come away from each park with one spectacular image. That shared goal placed us on the same team: It brought us together, even more than before, gave us more to talk about, and encouraged us to motivate each other along the way.

By this point, you’re probably wondering how we paid for all of this, or maybe you’re assuming we come from wealthy backgrounds. The truth is, we actually managed this entire adventure on a middle-class budget. Steven did part-time remote work about 10 hours per week for his employer from the road. I ended up finding some temporary jobs through the trip. We also continued our photography business, setting up an online shop to sell our landscapes.

We only visited some parks in the 48 states. And the experience would still be worth every penny. It is really a chance to lose and find ourselves in our nation’s park lands.

1.Why did the author want to change?

A.Because she wanted a rest from daily routine.

B.Because she was interested in travelling.

C.Because she fell ill with long working hours.

D.Because she didn't like her marketing job.

2.What did the author think of the vacation before the journey?

A.Exciting. B.Helpful.

C.Doubtful. D.Boring.

3.What can we infer from the last but one paragraph?

A.The couple visited 48 states during the trip.

B.The couple tried different jobs to maintain their trip.

C.The husband worked harder than the wife.

D.The couple came from a middle-class family.

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A.Introducing a couple’s daily life.

B.Sharing a couple’s travel experience.

C.Showing the importance of traveling.

D.Advising some travel plans to readers.

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

Nelda Billie has been waiting to turn on lights in her home for 15 years. ''We've been living off those oil lanterns,'' she says. ''Now we don't have to have flashlights everywhere. All the kids have a flashlight. When they get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, they have a flashlight to go to the outhouse. ''

Billie, her husband and their five kids live in a tiny, one-room cottage built with wood and mud, which is a traditional Navajo home. Their three sheep are on the green grass that carpets the rolling hills of Dilkon, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation, the largest Native American reservation in the US. They watch two men in a cherry picker hook the last power line to their home.

Billie says they've gone through too many electrical machines to count. ''My two boys, they have really bad allergies and they have asthma(哮喘), so sometimes they need the sprayer. '' Billie says. ''So we usually go to their grandma's house, travel in the middle of the night over there back and forth. ''

The Billies are not alone. About 10% of Navajos on the reservation live without electricity. And as much as 40% of them have to haul their water far away and use outhouses. A poll(民意调查) of Native Americans conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health found that more than a quarter of Native Americans have experienced problems with electricity, the Internet and with the safety of their drinking water.

Outside the Billies' home, the couple waits patiently for the workers to finish the job. Finally, after waiting for so long, the Billies watch the foreman turn on the meter behind their house and close the cover. Nelda then runs inside to open the switch. ''It's so exciting to finally have electricity here after so many years without it, '' Billie says. ''My kids are going to be so happy. They keep asking every day… They go, 'Mum, we're going to have light! We're going to finally have light! '''

Now the family will wait and pray for running water and the Internet.

1.Why did Billie's children have flashlights in the past?

A.They used them as toys.

B.They wanted to save electricity.

C.They needed them to light up late at night

D.They prepared these for going to grandma's house.

2.What can we learn from paragraph 2?

A.The Billies lead a green but poor life.

B.Electricity can bring about great changes.

C.The situation of Native Americans is serious.

D.There is an urgent need for electricity in Billie's house.

3.How does Billie often find electricity to treat her children's illness?

A.By walking a long way to a friend.

B.By producing electricity herself.

C.By inviting workers to her house.

D.By going to her mum's house.

4.What does the underlined sentence ''The Billies are not alone. ''imply in paragraph 4?

A.The Billies live far from cities but never feel lonely.

B.More Navajos suffer greatly from no electricity.

C.Only 10%of Navajos live without safe drinking water.

D.A quarter of Navajos have experienced problems with electricity.

5.What is the best title for the text?

A.The Disappearing Oil Lanterns B.Poor People's Bright Future

C.Electricity Bringing Hope D.Power Lines Construction

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

We all love to take photographs. It's a simple way to snap a special moment, an amazing view, or just to show off your artistic skills. And it's great to look back through your photo albums and share memories with your friends. In fact, they show a snapshot（快照）in time. This hasn't really changed since the invention of photography in the 1830s. But one thing that has changed is the equipment we use.

For many years, we have used traditional cameras to take our pictures with. Our images were taken onto camera film which was then processed into negatives from which photos were printed— a lengthy process. And we've had a range of cameras to choose from— from the simple compact camera to more advanced single lens reflex, or SLR cameras.

But the biggest change has come with the development of digital devices. This has made taking photo quicker and easier. It's enabled us to take a snap and review our pictures instantly. We've been able to deal with them in post-production, using software on our computer. And of course, we've been able to share them like never before— particularly on social media.

Of course, now we have the smartphone— a phone that is, well, smart because it can take photos and sometimes very good quality ones, and we can share them easily. So does that mean the traditional camera will eventually become outdated? Figures from Japan show how the market is shrinking: shipments of compact digital cameras from companies like Olympus, Canon and Nikon were down 39 percent year on year.

But Phil Hall, editor of Tech Radar magazine, told the BBC that while people are swapping their compact cameras for smartphones, "manufacturers are looking at the more higher-end cameras, high-end compacts, DSLRs, which are the ones you can attach lenses to, mirrorless cameras. In this sense, there's nothing to worry about."

1.What does the underlined word "they" in Paragraph I refer to?

A.Private memories. B.Photo albums

C.Artistic skills. D.Photographs

2.What is the biggest challenge for traditional cameras?

A.Instant access to taking photographs. B.Sharing moments on social media.

C.The development of digital technology. D.Post-production of software on computer.

3.What is Phil Hall's attitude towards the future of traditional cameras?

A.Optimistic. B.Negative. C.Worried. D.Uncertain.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.What a dilemma for cameras! B.What can smartphones do for us?

C.Are smartphones killing cameras? D.Camera producers survive the hard times

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

Some so-called climate travelers ________ in one place for a few months and then move on to some other places as the weather changes.

A. have stayed　 B. are staying

C. stay　　 　　　 D. stayed

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Carlos had been in New York for five months now, and he detested it. He would never forget the day when the plane landed. His parents had big smiles on their faces as they discussed the wonderful new life they would have in this great city. His older sister and brother looked in wonder and excitement at the buildings. Uncle Miguel and Aunt Esperanza thought of the good jobs they would get. Grandmother and Grandfather told him what a lucky boy he was to come to this wonderful city. But Carlos was lonely. The city looked big, cold and dirty to him.

They lived in an apartment in Manhattan. There were stores and cinemas close to their home. But Carlos didn’t want these things. He loved his home in the country in Puerto Rico; he loved the green fields, the hot sun, and the lovely beaches.

He didn’t want to go to school because it made him think of his friends at home. And he didn’t want to learn a new language that he could never describe the world as beautifully as his own.

He began to go the dock(码头), because this made him feel closer to Puerto Rico. He sat down and watched the ships. He would often find a man also sitting there looking at the sea. The man was Eric—a taxi driver who came there to escape from the noisy traffic.

Eric noticed the young boy and felt his sadness. One day he said, “Yes, it’s hard to leave your homeland. I remember when I left Norway 15 years ago. I know it’s hard to start a new life in a new country, but let’s face it. I did it, and you can do it, too.”

From then on the taxi driver and the young boy began to develop a deep friendship.

1.The underlined word “detested” in Paragraph 1 probably means “________”.

A. forgot　　 B. enjoyed　 C. hated　　 D. missed

2.According to the text, ________________.

A. Carlos’ grandparents were afraid of the traffic in New York

B. Carlos’ parents were looking forward to the life in New York

C. Carlos’ uncle and aunt found it hard to get jobs in New York

D. Carlos’ brother and sister got excited at the schools in New York

3.Why did Carlos feel lonely?

A. He knew nobody around his apartment.

B. No one went to the movies with him.

C. His parents left him alone at home.

D. He missed the life in Puerto Rico.

4.Eric and Carlos became friends because they ________.

A. came from the same country　　　　　　 B. faced the same problems

C. were the same age　　　　　　　　　　　 D. both hated noise

高二英语填空题中等难度题查看答案及解析