During the twentieth century, cars, electric ...

During the twentieth century, cars, electric lights, space travel and amazing advances in medicine changed people’s lives. So what might this new century bring? There are hundreds of predictions flying around — let’s have a light-hearted look at some of them.

In a recent UK survey, teenagers were asked to make predictions about the year 2020. One of the most common predictions was that school uniforms won’t be around. They also predicted that both girls and boys will wear make-up more often, and more than 75% of men will wear skirts regularly. My dad is 65 next Saturday — I think I’ll buy him a skirt as a birthday present and tell him he’ll soon be in fashion!

Other predictions involve changing roles of men and women. By 2017, some people say that single men of working age will form more than 10% of all families. It is also predicted that washing powder advertisements will include more men because more of them will do housework. I’ll tell that to my husband when he gets home and see how keen he is to wash the dishes!

Many predictions are about crime and safety problems. Some people think that crime will improve and the world will become a more peaceful place. Others believe that crime is going to worsen and that people will stay at home becoming completely dependent on the Internet for shopping and work. It is also predicted that you will need an electronic card to get into parks as parents demand safe play areas for their children. This is old news for me --- our local government is going to introduce one this summer.

Technology is predicted to play an even more important role in our lives in the future. Some parents might have cameras at home so they can keep an eye on their children while they are out. Quick, kids, turn off the TV and do your homework!

Here’s another prediction. Researchers have concluded that cultural activity may add years to your life. The cinema, theatre and concerts may give us a longer life because they encourage strong feelings. Well, we’re watching Bridget Jones’ Diary this Friday night. Will that help us live longer?

Let’s finish up with my favourite prediction. In the future, elderly people are going to make up a larger proportion of the world’s population than ever before. In Britain, an estimated 100,000 people now in their thirties may live to be 100. And that includes me! I’ll have a big, big party, I promise!

1. The writer’s father ________ .

A. has just turned sixty-five

B. wears skirts

C. is very fashionable

D. is about to turn sixty-five

2.Why might more men do housework in the future?

A. Washing powder advertisements suggest it.

B. Men won’t want to work in offices any more.

C. Traditional roles of men and women will change.

D. Women will refuse to wash the dishes.

3.According to the passage, people might ________ , if crime worsens.

A. need electronic cards to get into their homes

B. stay at home and depend on the Internet

C. help to make the world a more peaceful place

D. work harder and make more money

4.Which of the following is NOT true？

A. It’s likely that the writer is to live to be 100.

B. The writer promises that she is going to hold a big, big party soon.

C. Without an electronic card, you can’t get into a park freely in the future.

D. The writer holds a positive attitude towards the changes in the new century.

5.From the passage, we may infer that the writer is probably ____ .

A. a professional news reporter.

B. a young and attractive sales girl.

C. a middle-aged British housewife.

D. a responsible government official.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

There have been great changes in the lives of women. During the twentieth century ,there was an unusual shortening of the time of a woman’s life spent in caring for children. A woman marrying at the end of the 19th century would probably have been in her middle twenties, and would be likely to have about eight children, of whom about five lived till they were five years old. By the time the youngest was fifteen, the mother would have been in her early fifties and would expect to live a further twenty years, during which custom, chance and health made it unusual for her to get paid work. Today women marry younger and have fewer children. Usually a woman’s youngest child will be fifteen when she is forty-five and is likely to take paid work until retirement at sixty. Even while she has the care of children, her work is lightened by household appliances(家用电器) and convenience(方便) foods.

This important change in women’s way of life has only recently begun to have its full effect on women’s economic position. Even a few years ago most girls left school at the first opportunity and most of them took a full-time job. However, when they married, they usually left work at once and never returned to it. Today the school-leaving age is sixteen, many girls stay at school after that age, and though women tend to marry younger, more married women stay at work at least until shortly before their first child is born. Very many more afterwards, return to full or part-time work. Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage, with both husband and wife accepting a greater share of the duties and satisfaction of family life, and with both husband and wife sharing more equally in providing the money and running the home, according to the abilities and interest of each them.

1.Women marrying at the end of the 19th century ________.

A. would have fewer children than those today.

B. would have more children than those today.

C. lived as hard as those in the 20th century

D. lived more comfortably than those in the 20th century

2. According to the passage, a woman in the 19th century would likely to have about eight children and _______.

A. only about three of them could live more than five years old.

B. only about three of them could live for five years.

C. about eight children lived to be more than five years.

D. about eight children lived to be less than five years.

3. From the second paragraph, we know _______.

A. women today are not willing to run their home together with their husbands.

B. women today wouldn’t like to do any housework.

C. women today will return to work after they have their babies.

D. were unlikely to find jobs like the mothers before .

4.According to the passage, which of the following is right ?

A. in the past most women often stay at home after leaving school

B. women today like to marry men younger than themselves

C. women today are playing important parts in work and family life.

D. husbands today needn’t do any work at home.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The use of cars is becoming more and more popular in the twentieth century. A large number of the world's population are now able to buy and use cars.

Having a car gives much mobility（活动余地）, enabling the driver to move around freely. The owner of a car is no longer forced to depend on public transport（公共交通）and doesn't, therefore, have to work in a place near his home. Instead, he can choose from a greater variety of jobs and he could change his job frequently.

Travelling to work by car is also more comfortable than having to use public transport; the driver can use the heating in winter and the air conditioning in summer to meet his own need and preference. There is no discomfort caused by waiting for

buses, trains or underground trains etc. With the building of good fast motorways long distances can be covered rapidly and pleasantly. Also, for the first time in the century, many people are able to enjoy their free time to the full by making trips to the countryside or seaside at weekends. This feeling of independence and the freedom to go wherever you please is perhaps the greatest advantage（优势）of the car.

1. What does the writer think of the public transport?

A. It gives less mobility           B. It is not comfortable at all

C. It enables a variety of jobs       D. It is becoming more popular than before

2. Traveling by bus may be ______.

A. less comfortable than by underground train

B. more comfortable than by other transport

C. less comfortable than by other public transport

D. less comfortable than by car

3. What does the underlined word mean?

A. from time to time            B. with difficulty

C. against his own will         D. never

4. What does the writer think of having a car of your own?

A. It offers lots of advantages.        B. It has lots of independence.

C. It gives the feeling of freedom.     D. It offers free trips.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

The use of cars is becoming more and more popular in the twentieth century. A large number of the world's population are now able to buy and use cars.

Having a car gives much mobility, enabling the driver to move around freely. The owner of a car is no longer forced to depend on public transport and doesn't, therefore, have to work in a place near his home. Instead, he can choose from a greater variety of jobs and he could change his job frequently.

Travelling to work by car is also more comfortable than having to use public transport; the driver can use the heating in winter and the air conditioning in summer to meet his own need and preference. There is no discomfort caused by waiting for buses, trains or underground trains etc. With the building of good fast motorways long distances can be covered rapidly and pleasantly. Also, for the first time in the century, many people are able to enjoy their free time to the full by making trips to the countryside or seaside at weekends. This feeling of independence and the freedom to go wherever you please is perhaps the greatest advantage of the car.

1.What does the writer think of the public transport?

A. It enables a variety of jobs B. It is not comfortable at all

C. It gives less mobility D. It is becoming more popular than before

2.Traveling by bus may be ______.

A. less comfortable than by underground train

B. more comfortable than by other transport

C. less comfortable than by car

D. less comfortable than by other public transport

3.What does the underlined word mean?

A. with difficulty B. from time to time

C. against his own will D. never

4.What does the writer think of having a car of your own?

A. It has lots of independence. B. It offers lots of advantages.

C. It gives the feeling of freedom. D. It offers free trips.

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

The twentieth century saw greater changes than any century before : changes for the better , changes for the worse ; changes that brought a lot of benefits to human beings , changes that put man in danger . Many things caused the changes , but , in my opinion , the most important was the progress in science .

Scientific research in physics and biology has vastly broadened our views . It has given us a deeper knowledge of the structure of matter and of the universe ; it has brought us a better understanding of the nature of life and of its continuous development . Technology in the application of science has made big advances that have benefited us in nearly every part of life .

The continuation of such activitites in the twenty-first century will result in even greater advantages to human beings : in pure science―a wider and deeper knowledge in all fields of learning ; in applied science―a more reasonable sharing of material benefits , and better protection of the environment .

Sadly , however , there is another side to the picture . The creativity of science has been employed in doing damage to mankind . The application of science and technology to the development and production of weapons of mass destruction has created a real danger to the continued existence of the human race on this planet . We have seen this happen in the case of nuclear weapons . Although their actual use has so far occurred only in the Second World War , the number of nuclear weapons that were produced and made ready for use was so large that if the weapons had actually been used , the result could have been the ruin of the human race , as well as of many kinds of animals .

William Shakespeare said , “ The web of our life is of a mingled yarn(纱线), good and ill together .” The above brief review of the application of only one part of human activities—science seems to prove what Shakespeare said . But does it have to be so ? Must the ill always go together with the good ? Are we biologically programmed for war ?

1. Which of the following best shows the stucture of the passage ?

（①=Paragraph1 , ②= Paragraph 2，③= Paragraph 3，④= Paragraph 4，⑤= Paragraph 5）

2. From the fourth paragraph , we can infer that __________.

A. a great many nuclear weapons were actually used for war

B. a large number of nuclear weapons should have been used for war

C. the author is doubtful about the ruin of human beings by nuclear weapons

D. the author is anxious about the huge number of unclear weapons on the earth

3. The underlined word “ mingled ” in the last paragraph most probably means__________.

A. simple         B. mixed           C. sad             D. happy

4. What do you think the author is most likely to suggest if he continues to write ?

A. Further application of science to war .

B. More reading of William Shakespeare .

C. Proper use of science in the new century .

D. Effective ways to separate the good from the ill .

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

The twentieth century saw greater changes than any century before: changes for the better, changes for the worse; changes that brought a lot of benefits to human beings, changes that put man in danger. Many things caused the changes, but, in my opinion, the most important was the progress in science.

Scientific research in physics and biology has vastly broadened our views. It has given us a deeper knowledge of the structure of matter and of the universe; it has brought us a better understanding of the nature of life and of its continuous development. Technology—the application of science—has made big advances that have benefited us in nearly every part of life.

The continuation of such activities in the twenty-first century will result in even greater advantages to human beings: in pure science — a wider and deeper knowledge in all fields of learning; in applied science — a more reasonable sharing of material benefits, and better protection of the environment.

Sadly, however, there is another side to the picture. The creativity of science has been employed in doing damage to mankind. The application of science and technology to the development and production of weapons of mass destruction has created a real danger to the continued existence of the human race on this planet. We have seen this happen in the case of nuclear weapons, Although

their actual use has so far occurred only the Second World War, the number of nuclear weapons that were produced and made ready for us was so large that if the weapons had actually been used, the result could have been the ruin of the human race, as well as of many kinds of animals.

William Shakespeare said, “The web of our life is of a mingled yarn(沙线), good and ill together.” The above brief review of the application of only one part of human activities — science seems to prove what Shakespeare said. But does it have to be so? Must the ill always go together with the good? Are we biologically programmed for war?

1．Which of the following best shows the structure of the passage?

①=Paragraph 1, ②=Paragraph 2, ③=Paragraph 3, ④=Paragraph 4, ⑤=Paragraph 5

2．From the fourth paragraph, we can infer that  ___________.

A．a great many nuclear weapons actually used for war

B．a large number of nuclear weapons should have been used for war

C．the author is doubtful about the ruin of human beings by nuclear weapons

D．the author is anxious about the huge number of nuclear weapons on the earth

3．The underlined word “mingled” in the last paragraph most probably means  ___________.

A．simple   B．mixed   C．sad   D．happy

4．What do you think the author is most likely to suggest if he continues to write?

A．Further application of science to war.

B．More reading of William Shakespeare.

C．Proper us of science in the new century.

D．Effective ways to separate the good from the ill.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Kenneth Williams 1. (consider) one of the greatest British comedy actors of the twentieth century. His voice, as his outstanding gift, actually defended him as a 2. (perform). Williams would often spend weeks 3. (decide) how a character should sound and this “voice” determined his approach to each role. 4. even after he had chosen his “voice”, he didn’t always stick to it. In the middle of a single performance, he would occasionally change the tone or speed of his speech, for 5. (great) comic effect. While still a beginner, he felt he should be given the freedom to do as he wished on stage and often 6. (ignore) his directors’ instructions. This greatly annoyed some directors, who refused 7. (work) with him. Sometimes, he would completely ignore the script and make up his own lines during performance. Although he was proud of his ability to go “off script”, he became extremely angry if other actors tried to do the same, 8.(argue) that they were simply not good at it. Williams loved to make his audience laugh. When performing a scene 9. there were few laughs, he would often make up 10. own jokes, which always entertained the audience, but sometimes also ruined the scene.

高二英语语法填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

One of the most successful singers of the twentieth century, Ella Fitzgerald has made several different styles of her own. She was born in Virginia but was brought up in an orphanage in Yonkers, New York. Chick Webb spotted her in an amateur competition when she was sixteen. He engaged her to sing with his band and when he died in 1939, she took over.

Unlike Bessie Smith, Ella Fitzgerald taught herself the sentimental music so popular in the 1930’s — songs like “My Heart Belongs to Daddy”— and her recordings became best-sellers. During the 1940’s she developed her own “scat singing” — a breathless, nonsense—syllable style—for songs like “Flying Home” and “Lady Be Good.”

Ella Fitzgerald was the perfect musical partner for her friend, the trumpeter Louis Armstrong, matching him in warmth and artistry. “I just like music, period,” she said. “To me, it’s a story. There’s only one thing better than singing…. It’s more singing.”

1.What does the passage mainly discuss?

A. A comparison of Ella Fitzgerald and Bessie Smith.

B. The musical career of Ella Fitzgerald.

C. Ella Fitzgerald’s early childhood.

D. Ella Fitzgerald’s most recent recordings.

2.The underlined word “spotted” means ________.

A. noticed            B. brought up            C. employed            D. recognized

3.What does the passage imply about Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong?

A. They were the founders of “scat singing”.

B. They played the same musical instruments.

C. They performed well together.

D. They were a married couple.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Barbara McClintock was one of the most important scientists of the twentieth century. She made important discoveries about genes and chromosomes (染色体).

Barbara McClintock was born in 1902 in Hartford, Connecticut. Her family moved to the Brooklyn area of New York City in 1908. Barbara was an active child with interests in sports and music. She also developed an interest in science.

She studied science at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Barbara was among a small number of undergraduate students to receive training in genetics in 1921. Years later, she noted that few college students wanted to study genetics.

Barbara McClintock decided to study botany, the scientific study of plants, at Cornell University. She completed her undergraduate studies in 1923. McClintock decided to continue her education at Cornell. She completed a master’s degree in 1925. Two years later, she finished all her requirements for a doctorate degree.

McClintock stayed at Cornell after she completed her education. She taught students botany. The 1930s were not a good time to be a young scientist in the United States. The country was in the middle of the great economic Depression. Millions of Americans were unemployed. Male scientists were offered jobs. But female geneticists were not much in demand.

An old friend from Cornell, Marcus Rhoades, invited McClintock to spend the summer of 1941 working at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. It is a research center on Long Island, near New York City. McClintock started in a temporary job with the genetics department. A short time later, she accepted a permanent position with the laboratory. This gave her the freedom to continue her research without having to teach or repeatedly ask for financial aid.

By the 1970s, her discoveries had had an effect on everything from genetic engineering to cancer research. McClintock won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1983 for her discovery of the ability of genes to change positions on chromosomes. She was the first American woman to win an unshared Nobel Prize.

1.When did McClintock receive a doctorate degree?

A. In 1921.　　 B. In 1923.　　 C. In 1925.　　 D. In 1927.

2.During the great economic Depression in the US, _______.

A. young scientists had trouble finding a job

B. female geneticists were not wanted at all

C. male geneticists were in great demand

D. male scientists were mostly out of job

3.Which of the following jobs may be most beneficial to McClintock’s research?

A. The job as a botany teacher.

B. The temporary job in the genetics department.

C. The permanent position in the laboratory.

D. The job of cancer research.

4.McClintock was awarded a Nobel Prize because of _______.

A. her life-long research in botany and biology

B. her contribution to genetic engineering

C. her discoveries about genes and chromosomes

D. her unshared work in the laboratory

5.The text is likely to appear in _______.

A. a biography　　 B. a history paper

C. a newspaper　　 D. a philosophy textbook

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

In 1863, the great novelist Jules Verne wrote a novel called Paris in the Twentieth Century. In the book he used the full power of his great ability to forecast the coming century. Unfortunately, the manuscript (手稿) was lost until his great-grandson happened to discover it lying in a safe where it had been carefully locked away for almost 130 years. Realizing what a treasure he had found, he arranged to have it published in 1994, and it became a bestseller at once.

Back in 1863, kings still ruled the ancient world in Europe, with so many poor people working in the fields. And steam power was just beginning to change the world. But Verne predicted that Paris in 1960 would have glass skyscrapers, air conditioning, TV, high-speed trains, gas-powered vehicles, and even something similar to the Internet. Verne descibed life in modem Paris almost without any mistakes.

Just two years later Verne made another amazing prediction. He wrote From the Earth to the Moon, in which he predicted the details of the task that sent several astronauts to the moon 100 years later in 1969. He correctly predicted the size of the space capsule, the number of astronauts who would carry out the task, the weightlessness that the astronauts would experience, and the final landing in the ocean.

How was Jules Verne able to predict 100 years into the future successfully? Although he was not a scientist himself, Verne often turned to scientists, asking them questions about their opinions of the future. He collected a vast amount of information about the great scientific discoveries of his time. Verne realized that science would make it possible for many amazing things to appear in the future. The secret of his successful prediction was his belief in the power of science to change society.

1.Paris in the Twentieth Century is a novel that 　　　　 .

A. was published long after it was finished

B. didn’t sell well when published at first

C. took Jules Verne five years to finish

D. people thought badly of at first

2.The third paragraph is mainly about 　　　　 .

A. the requirements of being an astronaut

B. how From the Earth to the Moon was created

C. what From the Earth to the Moon is about

D. the differences between the earth and the moon

3.According to the text, Jules Verne 　　　　 .

A. could predict what would happen to someone

B. was a great scientist and novelist

C. had Paris in the Twentieth Century published in 1994

D. showed strong interest in writing and science

4.What would be the best title for the text?

A. The early life of Jules Verne

B. Jules Verne: A writer ahead of his time

C. Jules Verne’s opinions about science

D. Jules Verne’s inventions came true

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析