Never did I imagine I would land into a place...

What does home really mean? Is it the people around you who make a place familiar and loved, or is it the tie to land that's been in your family for generations? Anna Quindlen's new novel investigates both, seen through the eyes of Mimi Miller, who narrates the story of her life—and of the strike to the people and to the land she loves—her 1960s girlhood to the present day.

The book begins with the summer Mimi is 11 and everything around her is about to change in Miller's Valley. She lives with her parents, her older brothers—rakish Tommy and practical Eddie—and her Aunt Ruth, her mother's sister, who keeps a terrible secret, and who never leaves the confines of her small house behind Mimi's. The farm has been in their family for almost 200 years, and Mimi can't imagine life beyond it.

The land has always been wet, it seems to Mimi. There's always a sump pump running in Mimi's house, and when it storms, mud comes right up to the front porch. But then, the government steps in, deciding to flood “6, 400 acres of old family farms and small ramshackle homes and turn it into a reservoir by using the dam to divert the river,” transforming corn fields into strip malls, drowning the valley under water, along with a way of life that has been perpetuating itself for generations. They'll buy up homes and resettle everyone, insisting that new is so much better than old. At first the town stubbornly resists, except for Mimi's mother who announces, “Let the water cover the whole damn place.”

But Mimi is desperate to stay. She has no idea what else there is to want, or where else she could possibly live or who else she could possibly be other than a girl on a farm with her family. Her father, too, is tied to the land he loves, and Ruth balks at even stepping outside her house. But as the river is allowed in, dampening the ground,　 loosening ties, it seems to drown people little by little, forcing secrets to float up to the surface and change things in ways you might never expect.

Quindlen makes her characters so richly alive, so believable, that it's impossible not to feel every doubt and dream they harbor, or share every tragedy that falls on them. Mimi's mother is mysteriously bitter toward Ruth,　 and closemouthed about why. Eddie grows into an efficient man, more like a "friendly visitor" than a brother,　 who sees and seizes opportunity, becoming an engineer and building new homes for the displaced, as if the future were like a bright, shiny penny. Tommy, the sibling Mimi adores, gets by working odd jobs, car repair, and later selling drugs and going off to war and prison, a man who just tragically never found his place.

But what's Mimi's place? “I knew there was a world outside,” she says. “I just had a hard time imagining it.” When she gets highest honors in school, her mother insists, “This is your road to something better than this.” And then to Mimi's astonishment, she gets a full scholarship to medical school. She doesn't want to leave, but finally,　 slowly, she begins to move toward her future, to gather ambition and purpose, and to truly see beyond the confines of her life.

If there is a weak link at all, it's Donald, a childhood friend of Mimi's who moves away, but hasn't made more effort to visit more often. Still, the novel is overwhelmingly moving. We experience how the land changes through the “foggy mist of summer” to “the dry-ice mist of winter.” And the floodwaters channel in, “so that on the evening of the third day the people in town thought Miller's Valley was having its first earthquake."

The ending fast-forwards like a tide, carrying all these lives we've come to deeply care for into middle age and beyond, as people marry, birth children, move on and, yes, die. Family bonds are restructured, and secrets are revealed that either wedge people apart or bind them together. But Quindlen also allows her characters mystery —and some of what's unknown stays unknown, which polishes her story with a kind of haunting grace and truthfulness.

1.Anna Quindlen investigates the meaning of home through the following EXCEPT　　　 　.

A.Mimi Miller and her life experiences B.the offence to the people in Miller's Valley

C.the invasion to the land in Miller's Valley D.different outlooks on leaving the family farm

2.The underlined word “perpetuating” in Paragraph 3 means　　　 　.

A.existing B.preserving C.involving D.keeping

3.What does the sentence “Ruth balks at even stepping outside her house.” in Paragraph 4 mean？

A.Ruth is reluctant to depart from her house.

B.Mimi's Aunt is greatly attached to the family farm.

C.Mimi's Aunt has a personality of natural reserve.

D.Ruth cannot resist walking around her house.

4.The characters in Quindlen's novel are　　　 　.

A.full of ambition and purpose B.weakly linked interpersonally

C.strikingly lifelike and impressive D.clearly revealed to the public in the end

5.What might Mimi's future fortune be like？

A.She is admitted to medical school through a full scholarship.

B.She seizes opportunity to become a female engineer.

C.She eventually finds her place beyond the confines of her life.

D.She steps into the road to something other than highest honors in school.

6.What could the passage most probably be classified into？

A.A biography. B.A book review. C.A news report. D.An argumentative essay.

高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

Never did I imagine I would land into a place that I used to dislike. However, my working here in Saudi Arabia has turned out to be a _________ I have learned many things about life.

One of those is _________. I had been very impatient for the years before I came here. _________, I had made wrong decisions and _________ many learning chances that life had offered me. When I _________ here, everything and everyone seemed completely different. I had to _________ different kinds of people from different countries with the _________ kind of personalities (个性) and attitudes. I couldn’t improve the situation but could change my _________—to be patient with everything and everyone. Gradually, found myself doing my job _________, enjoying every single thing. And I began to share feelings with my __________ here and everything turned out just __________.

Second is the value of __________. My world back home has mostly made the __________ of my attitudes, personalities and beliefs. It has __________ me the person that I am now. Yet, I should __________ the way people here have lived their lives. I may not like their culture or __________ but that doesn’t make them any __________ and still they deserve my respect.

The most __________ and wonderful experience I have here is the joy of living contently. I have been living in this foreign place for two years and I have been __________ how to live a simple life, how to __________ the kind of life I have right now.

1.A.test B.challenge C.blessing D.experience

2.A.love B.patience C.wisdom D.ambition

3.A.Unfortunately B.In return C.By accident D.Consequently

4.A.witnessed B.missed C.provided D.replaced

5.A.paused B.finished C.rested D.got

6.A.pick out B.look for C.deal with D.come across

7.A.strangest B.clearest C.strictest D.nicest

8.A.attitude B.promotion C.situation D.theory

9.A.sincerely B.anxiously C.cautiously D.happily

10.A.parents B.neighbors C.colleagues D.enemies

11.A.fine B.legal C.equal D.casual

12.A.trust B.respect C.manner D.justice

13.A.dreams B.bases C.plans D.steps

14.A.offered B.considered C.made D.found

15.A.accept B.judge C.permit D.use

16.A.transportation B.food C.performance D.tradition

17.A.less B.different C.worse D.better

18.A.ambiguous B.significant C.abnormal D.unbearable

19.A.required B.called C.warned D.taught

20.A.tolerate B.remember C.appreciate D.organize

高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

3D printing is becoming more and more popular. We are now able to create things we need very quickly and easily using 3D printers. But can you imagine printing food?

Some scientists are trying to revolutionize the dining experience by doing this. They hope that having a 3D printer in the kitchen will be as common as the microwave oven or blender.

Scientists say that it’ll be quite easy: you simply have to select a recipe and put the raw food ‘inks’ into the printer. You can also modify the instructions to make the food exactly how you want it. This means that it would be very quick and easy to create tasty and nutritious meals.

Using 3D printers to create your meals would also be saving the environment. There would be less need for traditional growing, transporting and packaging processes as food production would be a lot more efficient. For example, alternative ingredients (原料) such as proteins from algae, beetroot leaves and insects could be converted into tasty products.

Printing food could also help people who suffer from dysphasia (a swallowing disorder). They could program the printer to print softer versions of their favorite foods so that they would not have trouble in swallowing them.

However, some people think that a future of 3D food printing would be a disaster. It could take away many jobs, including those from growing, transporting and packaging food. Imagine a world where there was no need for farming or growing crops and the same tastes could be printed from a raw “food ink”. Likewise, traditional cafes and restaurants might lose business. Also, there are concerns about the nutritional value of printed food: is it really possible to be get the nutrients we need from food-based inks and gels (凝胶)?

What’s more, cooking and eating together with family and friends has long been a traditional and enjoyable activity. It is hard to imagine a world where the pleasure of cooking is dead and meals can be created at the touch of a button.

1.Which of the following best describes 3D food printing?

A.Quick and popular. B.Easy and efficient. C.Nutritious and tasty. D.Soft and convenient.

2.Why do some think that 3D food printing would be a disaster?

A.Traditional food would disappear. B.Many people could lose their jobs.

C.It would affect the people’s health. D.We could all eat the same food.

3.What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A.3D food printing will replace traditional cooking. B.The future of 3D food printing is uncertain.

C.It would hurt our tradition of food culture. D.3D food printing would be a failure.

高三英语阅读选择简单题查看答案及解析

We automatically assume that as adults, we’re wiser than when we were children. However, actually we can learn a lot from our childhood self. For example, we can learn to develop optimism about the future. Do you remember how excited you used to be just before Christmas? 1. Reintroduce that childlike wonder into our daily experiences.

We can learn to dream big and imagine the impossible. How often have you heard a child say something like “One day, I’m going to be an astronaut”? Our adult minds immediately laugh at this idea and think about all the logical reasons as to why this might never happen. 2. We minimize our chances of attaining what we dream about. It is okay to dream big just as our childhood self did.

3. Our childhood self looked at possibilities and believed we could achieve them successfully. If we wanted to build a tree house, we’d go about thinking about how to make it happen instead of focusing on all the reasons it might not happen. In this way we can fill our life with possibilities rather than regrets.

We can learn to be playful and silly sometimes, 4. Children spend a large amount of time escaping from reality to mess about and have fun. Make time for your childhood self to come out and play. Run around the garden, wear a silly hat or spend time laughing. 5..

A.Don’t imagine things could go wrong.

B.We can learn to hold a “can do” attitude.

C.That feeling of great joy is hard to beat.

D.Most children tend to think in a positive way.

E.All of these activities can make us feel happy and alive.

F.We employ self-limiting beliefs without even realizing it.

G.All work and no play makes a person very dull and upset.

高三英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析

We have all imagined what it might be like to go into space and to land on Mars. Now at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida you and your family can live it. There are two parts to the new program, the Astronaut Training Experience (ATX) and Mars Base 1.

The Astronaut Training Experience

The virtual reality (虚拟现实) Walk-on-Mars, Land-and-Drive-on-Mars full-motion simulator (全动态模拟器) and Spacewalk Training are all parts of the ATX. If you or your children already love science and have a deep interest in space, this will bring that love to life. Prepare for your mission to Mars by training like a real NASA astronaut headed to space. Ever wanted to take a spacewalk? How about a zero-gravity experience, where you fix space equipment like a real astronaut would?

You can do any of these as “mini missions” if you don’t have time to do them all at once. Each stage takes about 30-45 minutes.

Mars Base 1

What could be cooler than a day actually spent on Mars? Not an hour or a walk through a display, but a real day working and surviving on the planet’s surface doing real science? Become a “rookie (新手) astronaut” participating in simulations and scientific research to grow and analyze crops in the Mars Botany Lab, or use robots to accomplish tasks. Yes, you actually take part in these activities, and grow real food that is really used and consumed.

Both the ATX and Mars Base 1 offer the magic of space travel without leaving the ground.

1.Who are the intended readers of the text?

A.Students. B.Educators.

C.Astronauts. D.Parents.

2.Which of the following is NOT the part of the ATX?

A.The virtual reality Walk-on-Mars

B.The Land and-Drive on-Mars full-motion simulator

C.The Rookie Astronaut

D.The Spacewalk Training

3.What can participants do at the ATX?

A.Grow space plants. B.Use robots to do tasks.

C.Get trained like a real astronaut. D.See space equipment exhibitions.

4.How long does each stage last in the Astronaut Training Experience?

A.About 20-45 minutes. B.About 30-45 minutes.

C.About 30-40 minutes. D.About 40-50 minutes.

5.What do the two programs have in common?

A.Both offer real food to taste. B.Both take less than an hour.

C.Both provide hands-on activities. D.Both recommend mini missions.

高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

One afternoon, after finishing shopping in a supermarket, my family and I went to the check-out. I suddenly thought we didn’t need any of the junk, and we abandoned all of those, saving $300.

That got me thinking about all our pointless expenses in life. With a promise that we’d stop if it was killing us, I convinced the family to take the leap into frugality. The rules were that we would buy nothing for 30 days except absolutely essentials.

Our adventure began with a great start. By 9 a.m., my wife, Ruth, had already made cakes from old strawberries and picked flowers I didn’t even know we had in the garden. I cleared the car by hand for the first time for years. I read and returned the neighbor’s newspaper before he woke up. Total spending on the first day: $0.

As days turned into weeks, we became so proficient(熟练的) at living frugally. We started riding our bikes to save gas. My child’s finger painting was recycled as gift wrap for the home-made presents. We started to use an Internet application like Skype for free phone calls and ask neighbors with gardens for extra vegetables and herbs.

In the end, we saved more than $2000 by not spending for a month. When we began, I imagined we would rush out the moment we were done and buy a lot of things in the supermarket. Then maybe hit the mall or go to the movies.

1.What can we infer from the passage before that very afternoon?

A.The family had often spent money randomly.

B.The family had had higher income and living standard.

C.The family had adopted an advisable habit of saving money.

D.The family hadn’t expected they would have financial problems.

2.How many things were mentioned about what the family did to save on the first day of the “30 days”?

A.Two. B.Three. C.Four. D.Five.

3.The end of the story suggests that the family______ .

A.stopped halfway because of unexpected things.

B.could barely put up with the life of frugality.

C.would return to normal after the “30 days”.

D.succeeded in saving and changed their spending habit.

4.What is this passage mainly about ?

A.A new idea coming up to save gas. B.A family’s managing their daily life.

C.A family’s attempt not to buy anything . D.A family’s way of solving life problems.

高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

In 2003, Mary Marggraff was a 47-year-old California mother, devoted to school committees and car pool schedules. But after losing her trusty notebook and buying a new one, she had an inspiration. “It was blank,” says Marggraff, now 64. “What else could I fill it with?” Soon she was thinking about her childhood love of flying, and next thing she knew, she determined to register in flight school. “In my first class, all the students were single men half my age. I felt like a housemother attending a fraternity (兄弟会), but I loved it too much to walk away.” she says.

Marggraff earned her first pilot’s license in 2005. Six years and four additional licenses later, her addiction to being in the air changed into something grander: a desire to go to space. To move closer to her starry dreams, Marggraff got a part-time job as a mission support representative at Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson’s commercial space line. In that role, she attended space-related gatherings where she educated people about the future of universe voyages. Though space tourism isn’t quite a reality yet, Marggraff has already begun space training in expectation of being on one of Virgin’s early flights. “I’ve completed acceleration force exercises,” she says, “which require getting inside a machine, spinning around at 2,500 miles per hour, and trying not to black out. ”

Marggraff’s training has meant more than getting her wings — it’s expanded her sense of what the future may hold. “It turns out I’m capable of much more than I imagined,” she says. “I used to think it’d be a miracle if I got my first license. Now I’ve completed nearly 1,000 hours of flight! I'm rotten in the kitchen and I burn anything I iron, but if you need someone to land a plane, call me.”

1.Why did Marggraff register in flight school?

A.To break away from car pool schedules. B.To fill her new blank notebook.

C.To pursue her childhood dream of flying. D.To prove women are equal to men in flying.

2.What did Marggraff do after earning 5 licenses?

A.She got into space on one of Virgin’s early flights.

B.She instructed people in how to make universe voyages.

C.She tried in vain to overcome faintness from high speed.

D.She received space training in preparation for space tourism.

3.What does Marggraff benefit from her space training besides getting a license?

A.It proves her a miracle. B.It increases her self-confidence.

C.It wins her a qualification. D.It improves her imagination.

4.Which of the following words can best describe Marggraff?

A.Aggressive and hopeful. B.Creative and fragile.

C.Energetic and sensitive. D.Considerate and persistent.

高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

My color television has given me nothing but a headache. I was able to buy it a little over a year ago because I had my relatives give me money for my birthday instead of a lot of clothes that wouldn’t fit. I let a salesclerk fool me into buying a discontinued model. I realized this a day later, when I saw newspaper advertisements for the set at seventy-five dollars less than I had paid. The set worked so beautifully when I first got it home that I would keep it on until stations signed off for the night. Fortunately, I didn’t got any channels showing all-night movies or I would never have gotten to bed.

Then I started developing a problem with the set that involved static (静电) noise. For some reason, when certain shows switched into a commercial, a loud noise would sound for a few seconds. Gradually, this noise began to appear during a show, and to get rid of it. I had to change to another channel and then change it back. Sometimes this technique would not work, and I had to pick up the set and shake it to remove the sound. I actually began to build up my arm muscles (肌肉) shaking my set.

When neither of these methods removed the static noise, I would sit helplessly and wait for the noise to go away. At last I ended up hitting the set with my fist, and it stopped working altogether. My trip to the repair shop cost me $62, and the set is working well now, but I keep expecting more trouble.

1.Why did the author say he was fooled into buying the TV set?

A.He got an older model than he had expected.

B.He couldn’t return it when it was broken.

C.He could have bought it at a lower price.

D.He failed to find any movie shows on it.

2.Which of the following can best replace the phrase “signed off” in Paragraph 1?

A.ended all their programs B.provided fewer channels

C.changed to commercials D.showed all-night movies

3.How did the author finally get his TV set working again?

A.By shaking and hitting it. B.By turning it on and off.

C.By switching channels. D.By having it repaired.

4.How does the author sound when telling the story?

A.Curious B.Anxious

C.Cautious D.Humorous

高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

In 2003, Mary Marggraff was a 47-year-old California mother, devoted to school committees and car pool (拼车) schedules. But after losing her trusty notebook and buying a new one, she had an inspiration. ''It was blank, '' says Marggraff, now 64. ''What else could I fill it with?'' Soon she was thinking about her childhood love of flying, and next thing she knew, she determined to register in flight school. ''In my first class, all the students were single men half my age. I felt like a housemother attending a fraternity (兄弟会), but I loved it too much to walk away. '' she says.

Marggraff earned her first pilot's license in 2005. Six years and four additional licenses later, her addiction to being in the air changed into something grander: a desire to go to space. To move closer to her starry dreams, Marggraff got a part-time job as a mission support representative at Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson's commercial space line. In that role, she attended space-related gatherings where she educated people about the future of universe voyages. Though space tourism isn't quite a reality yet, Marggraff has already begun space training in expectation of being on one of Virgin's early flights. ''I've completed acceleration force exercises, '' she says, ''which require getting inside a machine, spinning around at 2,500 miles per hour, and trying not to black out. ''

Marggraff's training has meant more than getting her wings—it's expanded her sense of what the future may hold. ''It turns out I’m capable of much more than I imagined, '' she says. ''I used to think it'd be a miracle if I got my first license. Now I've completed nearly 1,000 hours of flight! I'm rotten in the kitchen and I burn anything I iron, but if you need someone to land a plane, call me. ''

1.Why did Marggraff register in flight school?

A.To break away from car pool schedules.

B.To fill her new blank notebook.

C.To prove women are equal to men in flying.

D.To pursue her childhood dream of flying.

2.What did Marggraff do after earning 5 licenses?

A.She got into space on one of Virgin's early flights.

B.She instructed people in how to make universe voyages.

C.She received space training in preparation for space tourism.

D.She tried in vain to overcome faintness from high speed.

3.What does Marggraff benefit from her space training besides getting a license?

A.It proves her a miracle. B.It increases her self-confidence.

C.It wins her a qualification. D.It improves her imagination.

4.Which of the following words can best describe Marggraff?

A.Aggressive and hopeful. B.Creative and fragile.

C.Energetic and sensitive. D.Considerate and persistent.

高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

In the United States alone,over 100 million cell-phones are thrown away each year.Cell-phones are part of a growing mountain of electronic waste like computers and personal digital assistants.The electronic waste stream is increasing three times taster than traditional garbage as a whole.

Electronic devices contain valuable metals such as gold and silver.A Swiss study reported that while the weight of electronic goods represented by precious metals was relatively small in comparison to total waste,the concentration（含量）of gold and other precious metals was higher in So-called e-waste than in naturally occurring minerals.

Electronic wastes also contain many poisonous metals.Even when the machines are recycled and the harmful metals removed,the recycling process often is carried out in poor countries,in practically uncontrolled ways which allow many poisonous substances to escape into the environment.

Creating products out of raw materials creates much more waste material,up to 100 times more,than the material contained in the finished products.Consider again the cell-phone,and imagine the mines that produced those metals,the factories needed to make the box and packaging（包装）it came in.Many wastes produced in the producing process are harmful as well.

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency notes that most waste is dangerous in that"the production, distribution,and use of products-as well as management of the resulting waste-all result in greenhouse gas release." Individuals can reduce their contribution by creating less waste at the start-for instance,buying reusable products and recycling.

In many countries the concept of extended producer responsibility is being considered or has been put in place as an incentive（动机）for reducing waste.If producers are required to take back packaging they use to sell their products,would they reduce the packaging in the first place?

Governments' incentive to require producers to take responsibility for the packaging they produce is usually based on money.Why,they ask,should cities or towns be responsible for paying to deal with the bubble wrap（气泡垫）that encased your television?

From the governments' point of view,a primary goal of laws requiring extended producer responsibility is to transfer both the costs and the physical responsibility of waste management from the government and tax-payers back to the producers.

1.By mentioning the Swiss study,the author intends to tell us that　　　　　　 .

A.the weight of e-goods is rather small

B.natural minerals contain more precious metals

C.E-waste deserves to be made good use of

D.the percentage of precious metals is heavy in e-waste

2.The responsibility of e-waste treatment should be extended　　　　　　 .

A.from producers to governments

B.from governments to producers

C.from individuals to distributors

D.from distributors to governments

3.What does the passage mainly talk about?

A.The increase in e-waste. B.The creation of e-waste.

C.The seriousness of e-waste. D.The management of e-waste.

高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析