Earlier this month, the University of Glasgow...

Earlier this month, the University of Glasgow in Scotland launched a course entitled: The Simpsons Introduce Philosophy（哲学）. The course’s aim is to ease students into the typically heavy topic by relating it to the popular cartoon family.

“The Simpsons is one of the modem world’s greatest cultural products, partly because it is so full of philosophy,” John Donaldson, creator of the course, told the BBC. “Aristotle, Kant, Marx, Camus and many other great thinkers’ ideas are represented in what is arguably the purest of philosophical forms — the comic cartoon.”

While this may seem like an unusual way to attract pupils to a traditionally dull topic, this class isn’t the first of its kind. In 2009, Liverpool Hope University in the UK began offering a master’s degree on the music of world-famous 60’s group The Beatles, which still runs today. The following year, the UK’s Durham University gave students the chance to enroll on a Harry Potter-themed module, covering contents such as “Gryffindor and Slytherin: prejudice and intolerance in the classroom,” and “muggles and magic”.

To some, these courses may seem like a waste of a valuable education, but Donaldson believes that packaging certain topics into something more easy to relate to will enhance the learning experience, without distracting（分离）from the main subject. “Firstly, scholars want to be taken seriously by other scholars and ideas like this can be seen as not serious,” he tells iNews. “There are definitely ways to include popular culture into academic subjects that still remains their nature and doesn’t take away from the quality of the ideas,”

Already booked full, Donaldson’s Simpsons class isn’t meant to be taken as seriously, however. The lecturer says that his one-day course, which will pose philosophical questions around morality, free will, and religion by relating them to scenarios（情节）from The Simpsons, aims to introduce students to his area of expertise greatly while having a bit of fun.

1.From Paragraph 2, we can learn that 　　　　　 .

A. The Simpsons contains many philosophical ideas

B. John Donaldson produces those philosophical ideas

C. many great thinkers will be invited to The Simpsons

D. the main reason for The Simpsons’ success is its philosophy

2.Paragraph 3 is developed mainly 　　　　　 .

A. by comparison　　 B. by time

C. by example　　 D. by process

3.What is the main feature of the course according to Donaldson?

A. It’s very dull with many serious topics.

B. It’s very common as a traditional course.

C. It’s very time-saving as a one-day course.

D. It’s very efficient in teaching philosophic ideas.

4.The passage mainly talks about 　　　　　 .

A. a creative philosophy course　　 B. a popular comic cartoon

C. a reform of traditional subjects　　 D. an enterprising lecturer

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

I went to Arizona earlier this month to see what the college of the future might look like. What I found is an exciting new era of higher education that will help more students get a great, personalized education at an affordable price.

This future may not always include the lecture halls, dormitories, and other features of the traditional college experience. Instead, the colleges I visited are experimenting with ways for students to get their degrees online, allowing them to take courses any place and at any time.

These “colleges without walls,” as they are sometimes called, are at the forefront of the effort to broaden access to higher education, especially for low-income students with full-time jobs and families. During my visit, I heard encouraging stories of students who were taking advantage of these flexible learning models to pursue degrees that could put them on paths to new careers.

One of those students was Shawn Lee. He had a compelling story: After dropping out of college decades ago, he found himself in a series of low-paying, often back-breaking jobs. He recently decided to get his degree when he had his first child and wanted to start building a better life.

Tucked away in an industrial park in Tempe, Rio Salado didn’t look much like a traditional institute of higher education. There were no students running to class. Just a couple of glass-faced office buildings. The college had just 22 full-time faculty serving 60,000 students, with more than half of them attending classes online.

Several students I met during my visit said they liked learning online. “I’ve taken college classes in a big auditorium with herds of people. There was no personal connection,” one student said. “Now I can reach my teacher with the click of a mouse.”

After several days’ visit, I left Arizona feeling quite optimistic about what the future holds for higher education.

1.What does “colleges without walls” in the third paragraph refer to?

A. Colleges that have no walls around.

B. Colleges that students attend online.

C. Colleges that can be entered freely.

D. Colleges that give students more freedom.

2.What made Shawn Lee return to attend college again?

A. That he has nothing to do.

B. That he couldn’t find a job.

C. That the cost of the college is low.

D. That he wanted to find a better job.

3.How did the writer feel after the visit?

A. Hopeful.　　　　　　 B. Dissatisfied.　　　 C. Disappointed.　　 D. Upset.

4.What is the writer’s purpose by writing this passage?

A. To explain what “colleges without walls” are.

B. To advertise the colleges.

C. To encourage people to attend higher education.

D. To introduce a new model of education.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

I went to Arizona earlier this month to see what the college of the future might look like. What I found is an exciting new era of higher education that will help more students get a great, personalized education at an affordable price.

This future may not always include the lecture halls, dormitories, and other features of the traditional college experience. Instead, the colleges I visited are experimenting with ways for students to get their degrees online, allowing them to take courses any place and at any time.

These “colleges without walls” as they are sometimes called, are at the forefront of the effort to broaden access to higher education, especially for low-income students with full-time jobs and families. During my visit, I heard encouraging stories of students who were taking advantage of these flexible learning models to pursue degrees that could put them on paths to new careers.

One of those students was Shawn Lee. He had a compelling story: After dropping out of college decades ago, he found himself in a series of low-paying, often back-breaking jobs. He recently decided to get his degree when he had his first child and wanted to start building a better life.

Tucked away in an industrial park in Tempe, Rio Salado didn’t look much like a traditional institute of higher education. There were no students running to class. Just a couple of glass-faced office buildings. The college had just 22 full-time faculty serving 60,000 students, with more than half of them attending classes online.

Several students I met during my visit said they liked learning online. “I’ve taken college classes in a big auditorium with herds of people. There was no personal connection,” one student said. “Now I can reach my teacher with the click of a mouse.”

After several days’ visit, I left Arizona feeling quite optimistic about what the future holds for higher education.

1.What does “colleges without walls” in the third paragraph refer to?

A.Colleges that have no walls around.

B.Colleges that students attend online.

C.Colleges that can be entered freely.

D.Colleges that give students more freedom.

2.What made Shawn Lee return to attend college again?

A.That he has nothing to do.

B.That he couldn’t find a job.

C.That the cost of the college is low.

D.That he wanted to find a better job.

3.How did the writer feel after the visit?

A.Hopeful. B.Dissatisfied. C.Disappointed. D.Upset.

4.What is the writer’s purpose by writing this passage?

A.To explain what “colleges without walls” are.

B.To advertise the colleges.

C.To encourage people to attend higher education.

D.To introduce a new model of education.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The company lost $7 million this quarter ________ a profit of $6.2 million a year earlier.

A. in contrast to　　 B. with regard to

C. in favor of　　 D. at the sacrifice of

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

People and the sources of air pollution are found in the same places. This means that cities with large populations have the biggest problem of dirty air. Air pollution is caused by many different things. A major source of air pollution is the gas fumes from cars. Statistics show that 93 percent of all auto trips are within cities. Another major source of dirty air is the burning of coal and oil for energy. This energy is needed to make electricity. Of course, much more electricity is used in the city than in the country.

On the average, we throw away more trash and garbage than the year before. The burning of garbage contributes to air pollution. Many major industries are also responsible for the dirty air in the around cities. The fumes from iron, steel, chemical, and petroleum production add particles to the air.

The effects of air pollution range from mild headaches to death. The levels of pollution found in heavy for traffic may cause headaches for loss of clear vision. Wherever coal and oil are used for fuel, fumes may kill trees and plants and cause metal to corrode. In some of the larger cities, these fumes endanger the live of human beings by contributing to lung diseases and causing early death.

1.The key point of the passage is that _________.

A．the cause of air pollution is people

B．the causes and the effects of air pollution are both found in cities

C．the effects of air pollution range from headaches to death

D．air pollution is caused by dirty air

2.What is the purpose of this passage?

A．to persuade people to stop polluting the air

B．to tell the causes of air pollution

C．to tell why cities are bad places to live

D．to describe why cities are bad places to live

3.Why is air pollution more grave in the city than in the country?

A．Because there are larger populations in cities.

B．Because the air in the city is dirty.

C．Because there are more cars in the city.

D．Because there are much more gas fumes from cars and burning of coal and oil for energy in the city than in the country.

4.The fumes from coal and oil may cause metal ______.

A．to corrode                            B．to twist

C．to turn black                           D．to become rusty

5.In larger cities, the fumes from coal and oil may contribute to ___________.

A．heart disease                          B．loss of clear vision

C．lung diseases                           D．serious headache

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

The company designed a new car last month and about 500 cars of this type       in the factory next month.

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

Researchers from the University of Newcastle are leading a world­first study which builds on earlier unpublished research that children are most likely to be guided by their father's eating and exercise habits.

The new study “Healthy Dads，Healthy Kids”，led by Associate Professor Philip Morgan from the University's Faculty of Education and Arts，is designed to help fathers promote and demonstrate to their children positive behaviors related to physical activity and healthy eating.

“The earlier findings showed that children are more likely to follow the example set by their father than their mother when it comes to eating and exercise，”said Morgan.Morgan saw striking results in a previous trial involving 165 overweight children．He found children who lost the most weight had fathers who were engaged in the new eating and exercise plan.

“We might think mothers are the main influence on children's diet and health，but the reality may be different，”said Morgan．“The roles of fathers are changing．More families have two parents working and more fathers are involved with food preparation and food shopping than in the past.”

“Fathers influence the food and physical activity habits in the home through their behaviours，attitudes and approach to　 food and eating，and act as a role model to their children，”said　 Morgan.

Researchers are inviting fathers who would like to reduce　 their weight to join the “Healthy Dads，Healthy Kids” program．Participation involves attending eight sessions （讲习班） at the University of Newcastle over six months where the men will receive information，have weight­related measurements recorded　 and complete questionnaires.

Cooking healthy food with the kids and creating a backyard fitness circuit （循环训练场） are among the assignments （课外作业） for fathers taking part in the study.

1.What do we learn about the “Healthy Dads，Healthy Kids” program？

A．It aims to build close family relationships.

B．It involves fathers who want to lose weight.

C．It will last more than eight months.

D．It offers free online courses for parents.

2.Morgan finds a link between children's weight loss and　　 .

A．their parents' efforts

B．their father's influence

C．balanced diets

D．regular sports training

3.Which of the following facts causes the change of fathers' roles？

A．That kids have more time to spend with family.

B．That more kids need their father's help in learning.

C．That there are more working mothers than before.

D．That fathers become much busier than before.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A month went by in this manner, but a month was all I could bear.

The memory of Marguerite accompanied me wherever I went. I had loved that woman — still loved her — too much for her suddenly to mean nothing to me. Whatever feelings I might have for her now, I had to see her again. At once.

…

I knew Marguerite. Meeting me so unexpectedly must have thrown her into a state of great confusion. Probably, she had heard of my departure which had set her mind at rest as to the consequences of our sudden parting. But, seeing me back and coming face to face with me, weak as I was, she had sensed that my return had a purpose, and must have wondered what was going to happen.

If, when I saw her again, Marguerite had been unhappy; if, in taking my revenge (复仇), there had also been some way of helping her then I might well have forgiven her, and would certainly never have dreamed of doing her any harm. But when I saw her again, she was happy, at least on the surface. Another man had ensured her the wealthy life in which I had been unable to keep her. She brought shame both to my pride and my love; she was going to have to pay for what I had suffered.

I could not remain cold to what she did now. It followed that the thing that would hurt her most would be exactly for me to show coldness. Coldness, therefore, was the feeling which I now needed to pretend, not only in her presence but in the eyes of others.

I tried to put a smile on my face, and I went to call on Prudence with whom Marguerite was

staying.

…

Prudence saw me to the door, and I returned to my apartment with tears of anger in my eyes and thirst for revenge in my heart and thought only of finding a way to make the poor creature suffer.

1. This passage is most probably ______ of a love story.

A. the beginning　 B. a chapter

C. a summary　 　　 D. the introduction

2.According to the passage, the hero wanted to ______.

A. give Marguerite sufferings because his pride and his love were hurt

B. stop the relationship with Marguerite because he couldn’t afford a rich life

C. make up the relationship with Marguerite because he still loved her

D. forgive Marguerite because he found her unhappy

3.What kind of feelings did the hero most probably have?

A. Coldness and love. B. Coldness and hate.

C. Love and hate.　　　 D. Hate and sadness.

4. What would the author most probably write about next?

A. Why he changed his mind suddenly.

B. How he made Marguerite suffer.

C. How he made up his relationship with Marguerite.

D. Why he wanted Marguerite to pay for what he had suffered.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The cost of living in Glasgow is among the lowest in Britain, ______ the quality of life is probably one of the highest.

A.since B.when C.as D.while

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

In Scotland, 600,000 tonnes of food are thrown away every year. This amount of food, which could as feed about 1.2 billion poor people, is almost a third of household (家庭) waste. And food waste isn't just a big problem in Scotland.

Money time, and resources (资源) are often wasted by throwing away good food. It also causes very harmful greenhouse gas, which is perilous to the planet.

In the production stage, some foods do not enter the food chain for many reasons. Supermarkets usually care about the quality of food from farms. They often refuse strange-looking and unusually sized produce. However, they seem to forget that it is almost impossible to grow the perfect produce. Food waste at the consumption (消费) stage includes food going out of date and leftovers (剩饭) because of too much food. In households, even mostly fresh fruit and vegetables are thrown away.

In order to reduce food waste, here is what we can do:

Understanding the terms “use by” and “best before” dates. “Use by” dates are there for your safety. It is dangerous to eat food after the use-by date and doing so risks your health. “Best before” dates tell you how long the food will be at its best quality. Once the food passes the date, it isn't necessarily bad, but you should still check, just to be sure.

Every time you go shopping and you bring back new food, put them at the back of your fridge and bring the food that will expire (到期) soon closer to the front. That way, you know what needs to be eaten first.

If you have any food that will expire soon, give it to charity if you aren't going to eat it. They will really appreciate the food you have given.

1.What does the underlined word “perilous” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A. Valuable.　　 B. Dangerous.

C. Different.　　 D. Unnecessary.

2.What should people do to reduce food waste according to the text?

A. Pick usually sized produce.

B. Improve the quality of farm produce.

C. Order produce directly from farmers.

D. Avoid buying too much food at a time.

3.What advice does the author offer to people?

A. Buy food that will expire soon to reduce waste.

B. Throw away food that passes the best-before date.

C. Place food carefully according to its expiry date.

D. Give food that has passed its use-by date to charity.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析