Birthday parties and graduations are occasions when people celebrate with balloons, often releasing (释放) them into the sky happily. But what happens to those plastic balloons once they become flat? Where do they end up?
For years, many environmental groups have pushed for mass balloon releases to be inhibited, saying that balloon pieces and strings are dangerous to wildlife. “They can bring harm to wildlife simply because they are colorful and bright, so wildlife might think they are delicious food, and their bodies can get caught by the strings, thus making it difficult for them to swim or breathe.” Emma Tonge, communications and outreach specialist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told USA Today. Yet releases still happen.
Researchers in Australia analyzed the effects that soft plastics like balloons have on seabirds. They have discovered that soft plastics are more likely than hard plastics to cause barriers in seabirds’ gastrointestinal tracts (胃肠道). Of the birds examined, nearly one out of five died as a result of swallowing a balloon or balloon pieces.
“If seabirds eat plastics, their risk of death increases, and even a single piece can be deadly,” wrote lead study author Lauren Roman, PhD student at University of Tasmania. “The evidence is clear that if we want to stop seabirds from dying from plastic ingestion (吸入) we need to reduce or remove marine debris (海洋垃圾) from their environment, particularly balloons.”
Balloons Blow, a nonprofit organization, is devoted to educating people about the dangers released balloons can have on animals, people and the environment. The group points out that all released balloons return to the ground as litter. Animals like birds, whales and sea turtles can die after swallowing balloons.
1.Why does wildlife eat balloon pieces?
A.They mistake them for delicious food. B.They eat anything for lack of food.
C.They feel like eating bright things. D.They suck them just for pleasure.
2.What does the underlined word“inhibited”in paragraph 2 most probably mean?
A.objected B.adjusted C.banned D.governed
3.What can we infer from the researchers’analysis in paragraph 3?
A.Seabirds are forced to swallow balloons.
B.Balloons mainly determine seabirds’survival.
C.Soft plastics are worse than hard ones for seabirds.
D.Seabirds are more sensitive to hard plastics.
4.What is Lauren Roman’s idea on the released balloons?
A.They have bad effects on all the birds. B.They are harmless in small pieces.
C.They are major damage to people. D.They do great harm to seabirds.
5.What is the text mainly about?
A.What released balloons bring to the ocean.
B.Why people should stop releasing balloons.
C.When action will be taken to protect wildlife.
D.How released balloons can be finally reduced.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题
Birthday parties and graduations are occasions when people celebrate with balloons, often releasing (释放) them into the sky happily. But what happens to those plastic balloons once they become flat? Where do they end up?
For years, many environmental groups have pushed for mass balloon releases to be inhibited, saying that balloon pieces and strings are dangerous to wildlife. “They can bring harm to wildlife simply because they are colorful and bright, so wildlife might think they are delicious food, and their bodies can get caught by the strings, thus making it difficult for them to swim or breathe.” Emma Tonge, communications and outreach specialist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told USA Today. Yet releases still happen.
Researchers in Australia analyzed the effects that soft plastics like balloons have on seabirds. They have discovered that soft plastics are more likely than hard plastics to cause barriers in seabirds’ gastrointestinal tracts (胃肠道). Of the birds examined, nearly one out of five died as a result of swallowing a balloon or balloon pieces.
“If seabirds eat plastics, their risk of death increases, and even a single piece can be deadly,” wrote lead study author Lauren Roman, PhD student at University of Tasmania. “The evidence is clear that if we want to stop seabirds from dying from plastic ingestion (吸入) we need to reduce or remove marine debris (海洋垃圾) from their environment, particularly balloons.”
Balloons Blow, a nonprofit organization, is devoted to educating people about the dangers released balloons can have on animals, people and the environment. The group points out that all released balloons return to the ground as litter. Animals like birds, whales and sea turtles can die after swallowing balloons.
1.Why does wildlife eat balloon pieces?
A.They mistake them for delicious food. B.They eat anything for lack of food.
C.They feel like eating bright things. D.They suck them just for pleasure.
2.What does the underlined word“inhibited”in paragraph 2 most probably mean?
A.objected B.adjusted C.banned D.governed
3.What can we infer from the researchers’analysis in paragraph 3?
A.Seabirds are forced to swallow balloons.
B.Balloons mainly determine seabirds’survival.
C.Soft plastics are worse than hard ones for seabirds.
D.Seabirds are more sensitive to hard plastics.
4.What is Lauren Roman’s idea on the released balloons?
A.They have bad effects on all the birds. B.They are harmless in small pieces.
C.They are major damage to people. D.They do great harm to seabirds.
5.What is the text mainly about?
A.What released balloons bring to the ocean.
B.Why people should stop releasing balloons.
C.When action will be taken to protect wildlife.
D.How released balloons can be finally reduced.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Juili Kale was looking forward to receiving her master’s degree at Arizona State University. She planned to invite her family living in India to the United States for her graduation ceremony. But then, in March, the coronavirus pandemic ended those plans as schools nationwide closed to stop the spread. Kale’s dream came crashing down. Yet the graduation ceremony is taking place—just not as she expected.
University officials have turned to robots so Arizona State graduates and their families can take part in the event online. Cameras recorded images of Kale and about 140 other graduates online this month. They were wearing robes and mortar board caps. They took turns moving a robot at the university that held an eye-level display showing their face. With the help of the robot, they stepped forward to receive their diplomas and take pictures. The robots are from Double Robotics, a company based in Burlingame, California Before the health crisis, they had been used to help people attend funerals and even marriage ceremonies without traveling.
Sanjeev Khagram is dean of Arizona State’s Thunderbird School of Global Management. He told the Reuters news agency the video-a “bittersweet” experience—was recorded and produced over two days. “It may not have been ideal for the students,” Khagram admitted, “but we want to show that we did everything that we could to celebrate them. When the crisis is over, the class of 2020 can do a real-life walk at any future graduation ceremony they choose.”
Kale planned to throw a “watch party” her husband at home and her family in India. Getting used to the online experience was easy for Nancy Sierras Morales. “We have been able to adapt very quickly because we are used to being on a computer and on the phone almost like 24 hours 7 days,” the 22-year-old said. She said that, “while it is not the best, it is cool...to be like the first class ever to do this.”
“I’m disappointed...,” said 41-year-old Douglas Northcott. He is graduating with a master’s degree in applied leadership and management. He looked forward to the real thing.
1.What had the robots mainly been used for before the graduation ceremony?
A.Saving travelling for people to attend ceremonies like wedding.
B.Hosting all kinds of ceremonies for people unable to travel.
C.Helping professors with their teaching plans in universities.
D.Amusing people during their travelling to funerals.
2.According to Sanjeev Khagram, to have a real graduation ceremony, the 2020 graduates can ________.
A.throw an online “watch party”
B.attend any future graduation ceremony
C.hold another real one by themselves
D.do everything they can to celebrate
3.According to the text, ________ made a fast adjustment to the new situation.
A.Juili Kale B.Sanjeev Khagram
C.Nancy Sierras Morales D.Douglas Northcott
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.A disappointing graduation ceremony.
B.A graduation ceremony with the help of robots.
C.multifunctional robot from Double Robotics.
D.A special experience of students in the health crisis.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
With these increased pressures and difficulty in ensuring a graduate job, more people are turning to recruitment(招聘) agencies for help. Luke Harper wrote for the Independent warning students to be cautious when using graduate recruitment agencies in their job hunt. The article’s main argument against graduate recruitment agencies is that they are looking to sign people up to the agency and harvest data, without having any real intention to personally find them a job.
The fundamental problem with this approach is a basic misunderstanding of how the recruitment part works. One of the more common ways is that recruitment agencies aim to find you a job to secure a fee from their clients（客户）. Recruitment agencies operate as a business, not a careers service and are not expected to find you a job while you wait around.
There is no denying that among the recruitment agencies, there are some CV(简历) hungry, cut and shut agencies that are uninterested in the candidates they have on their books. However, nowadays these are in the minority and don’t tend to last very long.
Paul Farrer, Chief Executive of a leading recruitment agency is worried that a few bad apples are ruining the reputation of what is an excellent part. Farrer said “The trouble with such an imbalanced and misleading article is that some graduates may now be put off approaching recruitment agencies who may well be able to help them.”
Professionals in the industry are cautious of how some of the less respectable agencies operate. Earnest（认真的） recruiters believe that graduates should be aware that some of these agencies will take on graduates for all their details rather than helping them find a job, like Harper mentioned. To fight this, Farrar advises that “Graduates should have a simple checklist before approaching any agency. Has the agency taken the time to talk to me? Have they invited me to a face-to-face meeting? Have they guaranteed not to forward my CV to any employer without my permission? These three steps will safeguard every application.”
Farrer also pointed out that that is not the only safety net that graduates can rely on. He said “Graduates can also check to see if the agencies are members of either APSC or the REC, the two trade bodies they can make an official complaint to. The vast majority of recruitment agencies are professional organizations that help place thousands of graduates every year and poorly researched articles help no one.”
1.The main purpose of this passage is _______________ graduate recruitment agencies.
A. to advise readers to be cautious of
B. to argue against some misjudgment against
C. to explain why there is a prejudice against
D. to seek the solutions to the problems caused by
2.Which of the following is right according to the passage?
A. Luke Harper holds the same idea about jobs with Paul Farrer.
B. Recruitment agencies actually do the same work as a careers service.
C. Job hunters’ detailed information is of value to recruitment agencies.
D. A member of APSC or the REC will not cheat its clients.
3.What advice does Paul Farrer give graduates to avoid less respectable agencies?
A. Consulting professionals before giving their personal details to an agency.
B. Making a face-to-face investigation into an agency before approaching it.
C. Guaranteeing that the agency will not forward their CV to any employer.
D. Selecting some agencies that are monitored by official trade bodies.
4.What is the author’s attitude towards graduate recruitment agencies?
A. Neutral. B. Positive.
C. Negative. D. Not Clear.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Brandon Smith, in Houston, Texas, turned 12 on April 11. It is a tough time to have a birthday. But he still had a socially distanced birthday celebration that he will always remember.
Celebrations in the age of the coronavirus（冠状病毒） have forced people to get creative. Brandon’s father, Jody Smith, went on Twitter with a simple request. He posted a picture of Brandon on it. In the photo, Brandon is holding up a drawing. It is a blank map of the world. Mr. Smith asked people on Twitter to reply to his post and say where they are. That way, his map-loving son could mark the locations.
“I thought it would be fun to get 50-maybe 100-people to reply from around the world, and most would be in the US.” Smith said, “That’s really what my expectations were.”
To his surprise, however, thousands of responses to Smith’s request came in. Pictures were sent from the Caribbean, South America and Europe.
Brandon would add each spot to his map. “He is having a blast,” Mr. Smith said.
In the afternoon of April 11, Brandon was popular on Twitter. He was the most-talked-about topic.
Brandon did not really want a birthday party. He wanted to do an activity he likes. “Brandon is on the autism spectrum（自闭症）.” Smith said. Children with autism have different abilities. They get very interested in things. They will be interested in it for just a few weeks, Sometimes, months, One thing that Brandon continues to love is maps.
Mr. Smith’s phone pinged with so many birthday messages. Each time one arrived, Brandon put a mark on his map. He put it wherever the message came from. He knew where most places were. He hardly had to look at a real map to check.
By noon, Brandon’s map was covered in marks. Mr. Smith was grateful for all the responses.
“These are pretty trying times,” Mr. Smith said. He was glad to see people being kind. Mr. Smith said the responses made Brandon feel so special on his birthday.
1.Why did Smith ask people on Twitter to send birthday messages to his son?
A.Brandon needed encouragement during this difficult time.
B.He wanted to see how many responses he could get.
C.Brandon spends much of his time talking to people on the internet.
D.He could not celebrate how he usually would because of the coronavirus.
2.What happened after people told Brandon where they were?
A.He marked the locations on his map.
B.He added the spots to a list.
C.He mailed them a letter.
D.He read about the places.
3.Why does Brandon does not like birthday parties?
A.The coronavirus has changed how people are celebrating.
B.Friends have what is being called socially distanced birthday parties.
C.Children with autism have different abilities.
D.Mr. Smith explained that Brandon gets very interested in things.
4.Why does Smith feel surprised about the response to his Twitter post?
A.He thought that more people would reply to it.
B.He did not expect so many people to reply to it.
C.He thought that more people from Texas would reply to it.
D.He did not know that he had so many Twitter followers.
5.What does the underlined word “trying” mean?
A.Difficult. B.hard-working.
C.Interesting. D.tiring.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
It’s the time of year when graduates are looking forward to putting constant exams behind and moving on to a more exciting stage of their lives. But in the digital age, not everything is so easily left behind, because they have created a digital footprint that’s often not easy to cover up. However, there are various actions they can take to make that online presence（网络形象） more appreciating. 1.
Clean up your Facebook account
Clean up your Facebook page and get rid of anything that could be considered offensive （冒犯的，无礼的） or held against you. Remember, the test is no longer “Would you want grandma to see it?” but “2.”
Use a professional looking photo
3., so make sure that first impression is a good one. Again, what worked at school is unlikely to impress the employers. Also, be consistent （一致的）and use the same photo on all your online platforms.
4.
While it’s important to make the transition（过渡）from school to the workplace, you don’t want to leave everything behind. Make a point of keeping in touch with your school friends, teachers, professors, sports coaches, or anyone who could be helpful to you as you establish a career.
Be yourself
Nobody can be more like you than you. 5. Turn your social networking pages into your own personal website, and start marketing your own individual ,brand!
A．Grow your network
B．Search your memory
C．A picture is worth a thousand words
D．Whom would you want to see it?
EWould you want a future employer to see it?
F．Make sure your online presence is representative of who you really are.
G．Here are a few suggestions that you might want to pass on.
高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
Thanks to the Party’s opening and reform policy, people in China are ______ than they were thirty years ago.
A. well off B. quite better off
C. more better off D. much better off
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Thanks to the Party’s opening and reform policy, people in China are ______ than they were thirty years ago.
A. well off B. much better off
C. more better off D. quite better off
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Yesterday was my 18th birthday. As Father and Mother thought it1. (be) a big occasion for me, they suggested I 2. (held) a birthday party at home to celebrate it. For several days they had been busy 3. (prepare) for this. By 4 o’clock I was pleased to see all my friends had come 4. a lot of beautiful presents.
We spent a wonderful night together, 5. (happy) talking and eating. One of6.most exciting moment was when Mother put a big birthday cake on the table and all my friends began to sing Happy Birthday. Seeing the 18 candles burning, I couldn’t keep back my 7. (tear). Without Mother and Father’s love, I would not lead such a happy life now. Mother asked me to make a wish before I blew out all the candles. After that, everyone enjoyed the sweet birthday cake and shared my happiness.
I am eighteen years old now, 8. means I’ve become an adult and have9. (many) responsibilities. I’ll do my best to return my parents’ love and live up to10.(they) expectations.
高二英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
When the novelist Luis Alberto Urrea was 14 or 15, he took a trip deep into Mexico. He was born in Tijuana to a Mexican father and a white American mother before moving just across the border and eventually into the San Diego suburbs. But his father thought he was becoming “too American,” and took him on a 27-hour journey to Mazatian. Along the way, his father gave him a paperback copy of The Godfather and told him it would change his life. “I don't think he was trying to make a case for us being criminals,” Urrea says, “but he really felt this incredible connection to the family and the traditions and the honor for the old country, as people were making their way in the U.S.”
In his new novel The House of Broken Angels, Urrea has written his own opinion on the Godfather story with a Mexican-American Don Corleone figure at its center. The story takes place over two days, as Big Angel de la Cruz buries his mother and celebrates his final birthday party on earth; he knows he's dying, and he's gathered his extended family around him for a noisy and lively goodbye.
The idea was inspired by the final birthday party of Urrea's elder brother three years ago. “Everybody was jammed in his backyard, and there was a DJ and people dancing and consuming a serious amount of American junk food-they didn't want Mexican food, they wanted KFC and pizza. I thought, where are the tacos (a kind of Mexican tood), guy? And my brother sat in his little chair in the middle of it. People were coming to him and kneeling, and they would thank him and kiss his hand or touch his head and tell him all the ways he had changed their lives.”
Urrea's brother died of cancer within two weeks at 74, and the heartbreaking event haunted the author. He considered writing a memoir(回忆录)about it-“I was thinking about Truman Capote, when he did those tiny books about Christmas and Thanksgiving.” But his wife encouraged him to aim bigger. When he found himself seated next to the writer Jim Harrison at a dinner event, he shared the story, and Harrison said, “Sometimes God hands you a novel. You have to write it.” Urrea thought to himself “Marching orders from Jim Harrison-this is good stuff. A kid from Tijuana doesn't get that very often.”
The House of Broken Angels is a celebration of the Mexican-American family, but it also includes moments of frustration with this country's treatment of the immigrant group. Before he got too sick to work, Big Angel worked in an office and drank coffee from a cup that read BOSS. “Yeah, the employees all got the message,” Urrea writes. “The Mexican-American was calling himself their boss.” In a grocery store, a woman screams at two of his family members that they'll be kicked out of the country soon. “I had to bite down on the bitterness of my rage(愤怒),man!” Urrea says. “I was having some pretty serious response to Donald Trump's confusing and empty talk. But you know, it may have shocked a lot of the United States to hear this kind of empty talk and this bald-faced racialism of politics all of a sudden, but to us, this stuff isn't a surprise?”
“I really wanted to write a tribute(致敬)to my brother, to my family and to us, but it's also a love song to the country,”Urrea says. “I think people have this weird, horrible view...that immigrants are evil snakes. People don't understand that immigration is truly a statement of love for this country, whatever the country represents. People want to be here and work.” And with persistence, they become the boss.
1.Why did Urrea's father give him the book The Godfather?
A.He wanted Urrea to enjoy the 27-hour journey. B.He thought the book had changed his own life.
C.He tried to show Urrea a real case of criminals. D.He hoped Urrea would feel connected to Mexico.
2.The question “where are the tacos, guy?” in Paragraph 3 probably suggests______.
A.Mexican traditions have been left behind B.the people like American junk food best
C.it is difficult to buy the Mexican food D.the tacos are popular with everyone there
3.We can learn from Paragraph 5 that______.
A.Big Angel himself was the boss of his office B.Mexican immigrants were treated unfairly
C.Urrea's family were kicked out of the country D.Urrea heard Trump's talk ahead of time
4.The House of Broken Angels mainly focuses on the novelist's______.
A.love for the Mexican-American family B.life in the Mexican-American family
C.mixed feelings towards American people D.mature reflection on Mexican traditions
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
When Central Bucks South became one of the first Philadelphia-area high schools to close due to fear of novel coronavirus exposure in early March, 16-year-old sophomore Andrew knew that things were not going to return to normal as quickly as some of his peers hoped. But still, he disliked the uncomfortable feeling from seeing his friends on the swim team during daily practices to learning alone at home. “I only have three years here at South, and it pains me to see one of them being wasted,” he said.
The coronavirus has affected everyone’s life, especially for students. Schools closed and graduation ceremonies were canceled. Summer plans, like camps and internships (实习)are up in the air. And for recent college graduates, entering the job market in a time of unprecedented (空前的) unemployment rates is no easy task.
Josh Harycki, 17, a senior student at the Shipley School in Philadelphia, who created a “social distancing pledge” for young people. “I saw a lot of younger generations not paying attention, he said. “They were still going out, hanging out with people. I thought that there had to be a way to reach younger people, who were probably not watching the news.”
Harycki launched a call to action on social media and then built a website with a map that tracked the locations of people who’d signed the pledge. The site also shares links to accurate sources of information like the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “ Going from being around with friends for eight hours a day at school to being isolated at home all day wasn’t easy, said Harycki.
We’ve definitely had times when we feel kind of bored at home,” he said. “We are very social beings and we are used to having that school experience. “
Harycki knows that his peers are worried they can’t connect with their friends in the same way, so he created the social distancing pledge to stress that while everyone might be physically distant they are still connected. “Part of what we are highlighting is that you might feel like you are the only one taking this seriously, but our map shows that you’re not alone,” he said.
1.What does “the uncomfortable feeling” in Paragraph 1 refer to?
A.Andrew missed his friends on the swim team.
B.Andrew would rather go swimming than study at home.
C.Andrew hoped he could learn with his friends on the swim team every day.
D.Andrew felt lonely because of long-term learning at home due to COVID-19.
2.What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase “up in the air” in Paragraph 2?
A.Certain position is replaced. B.Projects cannot be continued.
C.Plans are developed smoothly. D.Schools are closed for the moment.
3.Which of the following statements about “social distancing pledge” is TRUE?
A.It can help young people to get together to watch news.
B.It can offer a site to share young people’s school experiences.
C.It can help reduce young students’ feeling of loneliness with mapping locations.
D.It can give young people an accurate map when they are going to hang out with friends.
4.What’s the best title for this text?
A.Social Distancing Pledge for Young Students B.Young People Fight Against COVID-19
C.A Magical Map for Young Students D.Don’t Be Afraid of Loneliness
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析