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The expression “keeping up with the Joneses” was first used in 1913 by a young American Arthur Momand. He told this story about himself: he began earning $125 a week at the age of 23. That was a lot of money in those days. Young Momand was very proud of his riches. He got married and moved with his wife to Long Island, outside New York City.
But just moving there was not enough. For when Momand and his wife saw that their neighbors belonged to a country club they too joined a club. And when he saw that rich people were expected to ride horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. Momand and his wife also hired a servant and gave grand parties for their new neighbors.
It was like a race, but one could never finish this race because one was always trying to keep up. Momand and his wife could not do that.
The race ended for them when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They moved back to an inexpensive New York City apartment.
Momand later said that his experience had been a cruel awakening for him. However, he was able to see the funny side of it. He looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with their neighbors.
He decided that this would make good stories for many papers across the country. He called it “Keeping up with the Joneses”, because “Jones” is a very common American name. “Keeping up with the Joneses” came to mean keeping up with the people around you. Momand’s stories appeared in different newspapers for over 28 years.
People never seem to tire of keeping up with the Joneses. That is one reason why they read the “right” books, go to the “right” universities and eat in the “right” restaurants. But no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead.
1.The writer of this passage means to tell us ___________.
A．what Arthur Momand did to keep up with his neighbors
B．how the expression “keep up with the Joneses” came into being
C．what we should do to keep up with our neighbors
D．how we can live differently from others
2.The reason Momand moved to Long Island is that ___________.
A．he wanted to live in a rich neighborhood
B．there was a country club for him to join
C．it was outside the city and good for horseback riding
D．his wife came from that area
3.By saying “It was like a race”(in Para 3), the writer means ____________.
A．it was just a suitable place for the horse race
B．Momand and his wife kept themselves busy
C．Momand’s neighbors also gave parties one after another
D．Momand tried to compete with their neighbors in his way of life
4.The funny side Momand saw in his experience was _________.
A．he moved back to a cheap place
B．he was not alone in keeping up with his neighbors
C．he made a mistake in following other people’s examples
D．he cared too much about what others thought of him
5.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A．Momand earned a lot of money when he got married
B．Momand was always very interested in riding horses
C．Momand found there was something wrong with his way of life
D．Momand wrote stories for newspapers about himself and his neighbors
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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“Dutch” expressions heard in American English were first used in the 17th century. That was a time of fierce competition between England and Holland. At that time, the British used “Dutch” as a word for something bad, or false.
A Dutch agreement was one made between men who had drunk too much alcohol. Dutch leave was what a soldier took when he left his base without permission.
Some of these old expressions are still used today with a little different meaning. Long ago, a Dutch treat or to go Dutch was a dinner at which the invited guests were expected to pay for their own share of food and drink. Now, Dutch treat means that when friends go out to have fun, each person pays his own share.
Another common expression heard a few years ago was “In Dutch”. If someone told you that you were in Dutch, they meant that you were in trouble.
Some of the Dutch expressions heard in American English have nothing to do with the Dutch people at all. In the seventeen hundreds, Germans who moved to the United States often were called Dutch. During the American Civil War, supporters of the northern side in the central state of Missouri were called Dutch, because many of them were German settlers. President Theodore Roosevelt once noted that anything foreign and non-English was called Dutch.
1.If one of your friends collects 60 yuan from you to go to have a meal together, you can use “_____”.
A. Go Dutch B. A Dutch C. In Dutch D. Dutch leave
2.Why does the word “Dutch” often have a negative (not good) meaning in English?
A. Because in the 17th century, the Dutch were timid (胆小的)
B. Because in the 17th century, the Dutch often drank a lot of alcohol.
C. Because in the 17th century, the Dutch often fought with the British.
D. Because in the 17th century, the Dutch didn’t like to pay for others.
3.Which of the following statements is true?
A. The original meaning of “Dutch” refers to the people in the British.
B. “Dutch” sometimes means all that is non-English in American English.
C. The Dutch uncles are often very severe.
D. “Dutch” expressions in English didn’t come from the Dutch at all.
4.What’s the passage mainly about?
A. Telling us that “Dutch” is not a good word.
B. Showing that “Dutch” means differently between the British and the American
C. Telling us there was fierce competition between England and Holland.
D. Helping us enlarge the knowledge about the word “Dutch”.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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He bought a book with the _____ 50 dollars and then his money ______.
A. remaining; was used up B. remaining; ran out of
C. remained, ran out D. remained, gave out
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Americans use many expressions with the word “dog”. People in the United States love their dogs and treat them well. 1.However, dogs without owners to care for them lead a different kind of life. The expression, to lead a dog's life, describes a person who has an unhappy existence.
Some people say we live in a dog-eat-dog world. 2.They say that to be successful, a person has to work like a dog. This means they have to work very, very hard. Such hard work can make people dog-tired. And, the situation would be even worse if they became sick as a dog.
3.This means that every person enjoys a successful period during his or her life. To be successful, people often have to learn new skills. Yet, some people say that you can never teach an old dog new tricks. They believe that older people do not like to learn new things and will not change the way they do things.
4.People who are unkind or uncaring can be described as meaner than a junkyard dog. Junkyard dogs live in places where people throw away things they do not want. Mean dogs are often used to guard this property. They bark or attack people who try to enter the property. However, sometimes a person who appears to be mean and threatening is really not so bad. We say his bark is worse than his bite.
Dog expressions are also used to describe the weather. The dog days of summer are the hottest days of the year. A rainstorm may cool the weather. But we do not want it to rain too hard.5.
A. Some people are compared to dogs in bad ways.
B. Dogs are people’s loyal friends all the time.
C. Still, people say every dog has its day.
D. They take their dogs for walks, let them play outside and give them nice meals.
E. That means many people are competing for the same things, like good jobs.
F. Sometimes, morning rain can light up the day.
G. We do not want it to rain cats and dogs.
高二英语七选五简单题查看答案及解析
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Perhaps the first novel to best express the modern idea of the self was Jane Eyre, written in 1847 by Charlotte Bronte.
Those who remember Jane Eyre solely as required reading in high-school English class likely recall most vividly a childhood banishment(流放) to a death-haunted room, a mysterious presence in the attic, and a cold mansion going up in flames. It’s more seemingly the stuff of Lifetime television, not revolutions. But as unbelievable as many of the events of the novel are, even today, Bronte’s biggest accomplishment wasn’t in plot devices. It was the narrative voice of Jane — who so openly expressed her desire for identity, definition and meaning — that rang powerfully true to its 19th-century audience. In fact, many early readers mistakenly believed Jane Eyre was a true account (in a clever marketing scheme, the novel was subtitled, “An Autobiography”)，perhaps a validation of her character’s authenticity.
The way that novels paid attention to the particularities of human experience (rather than the universals of romances) made them the ideal vehicle to shape how readers understood the modern individual. The novel seemed perfectly designed to tell Bronte’s first-person narrative of a poor orphan girl searching for a secure identity—first among an unloving family, then a charity school, and finally with the wealthy but unattainable employer she loves. Unable to find her sense of self through others, Jane makes the surprising decision to turn inward.
The broader cultural implications of the story—its insistence on the value of conscience and will—were such that one critic worried some years after its publication that the “most alarming revolution of modern times has followed the invasion of Jane Eyre：' Before Rene Descartes's cogito ergo sum (“I think, therefore I am”)，when the sources of authority were external and objective, the aspects of the self so central to today’s understanding mattered little then.
To be sure, no earlier novelist had provided a voice so seemingly pure, so fully belonging to the character, as Bronte, She developed her art alongside her sisters, the novelists Anne and Emily, but it was Charlotte whose work best captured the sense of the modern individual. Anne Bronte's novels Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall contributed to the novers ability to offer social criticism, while the Romantic sensibilities of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights explored how the “other,” in the form of the dark, unpredictable Heathcliff，can threaten the integrity(完整) of the self.
One of the greatest testimonies(证明) to Bronte's accomplishment came from a modernist pioneer, Virginia Woolf, who declares, “Jane’s voice is the source of the power the book has to absorb the reader completely into her world.” Woolf explains how Bronte depicts: ...an overpowering personality, so that, as we say in real life, they have only to open the door to make themselves felt. There is in them some untamed ferocity perpetually at war with the accepted order of things which makes them desire to create instantly rather than to observe patiently.
It is exactly this willingness — desire, even — to be “at war with the accepted order of things” that characterizes the modern self. While we now take such a sense for granted, it was，as Bronte’s contemporaries rightly understood, radical (激进的) in her day.
“_______,’’ Jane says as she is dragged by her cruel aunt toward banishment in the bedroom where her late uncle died. This sentence, Joyce Carol Oates argues, serves as the theme of Jane’s whole story.
Charlotte Bronte created a new mold for the self—a person’s inner life can allow her to change from the inside out.
It is true Jane does right and exercises great moral strength.
1.Which of the following rang powerfully true to 19th-century audience?
A.The subtitle“An Autobiography". B.Jane' s real character.
C.The clever marketing scheme. D.Jane' s inner voice for herself
2.What can we infer from Paragraph 4?
A.The self started to be rooted in individuals 'hearts.
B.Jane Eyre gave rise to a cultural revolution comprehensively.
C.Jane Eyre changed people's viewpoints of their society.
D.The self failed to affect the course of an individual's life.
3.Why does the author mention Anna and Emily in Paragraph 5?
A.To argue how outstanding the sisters were.
B.To show how Charlotte was influenced by her sisters.
C.To prove how unique Charlotte's art of writing was.
D.To explain how the three sisters shaped English literature.
4.What does Virginia Woolf mean by"Jane' s voice is the source of the power the book has to absorb the reader completely into her world”？
A.Jane' s pursuit for individualism attracts readers.
B.Readers can express themselves through Jane.
C.Readers can find themselves in Jane' s voice.
D.Jane' s personality makes the book popular.
5.Which of the following can be put in the blank of the text?
A.I moved forward all the way B.I resisted all the way
C.I cried all the way D.I thought carefully all the way
6.What can we learn from the passage?
A.Readers recognized the modern individualism by nature of romance.
B.High-school students enjoy recalling what happens to Jane Eyre.
C.Jane Eyre is a reflection of its author Charlotte Bronte.
D.Jane Eyre' s publication changed the way people understood their internal world.
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
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Americans use many expressions with the word dog．People in the United States love their dogs and treat them well．They take their dogs for walks，let them play outside and give them good food and medical care．However, dogs without owners to care for them lead a different kind of 1ife．The expression，to lead a dog’s life，describes a person who has an unhappy existence．
Some people say we live in a dog-eat-dog world．That means many people are competing for the same things，like good jobs．To be successful，a person has to work like a dog．Such hard work can make people dog-tired，or sick as a dog.
Still，people say every dog has its day．This means that every person enjoys a successful period during his or her life．To be successful, people often have to learn new skills．Yet．some people say that you can never teach all old dog new tricks．They believe that older people do not like to learn new things and wilt not change the way they do things．
Husbands and wives use this doghouse term when they are angry at each other．For example，a woman might get angry at her husband for coming home late or forgetting their wedding anniversary．She might tell him that he is in the doghouse．She may not treat him nicely until he apologizes．However，the husband may decide that it is best to 1eave things alone and not create more problems．He might decide to let sleeping dogs lie．
Dog expressions are also used to describe the weather．The dog days of summer are the hottest days of the year．A rainstorm may cool the weather．But we do not want it to rain too hard．We do not want it to rain cats and dogs．
1.The correct statement about the dog in the expression“to 1ead a dog’s life”is________.
A．a lucky dog B．a homeless dog
C．a clever dog D．a tamed dog
2.When people compete against each other and will do any thing to get what they want，we use,
A．1ead a dog’s life B. a dog-tired competition
C．a dog-eat-dog world D．a dirty dog
3.Which of the following expressions is similar to“to rain cats and dogs”?
A．a curtain of rain B．a sudden rain
C．drops of rain D．a fine rain
4.The author writes this passage mainly to________.
A．express his supporting attitude about expressions with dog
B．show that he is a super dog-lover and he likes these expressions
C．describe the bad effect on the relationship between husband and wife
D．introduce some expressions with dog used in American daily life
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Americans use many expressions with the word dog． People in the United States love their dogs and treat them well．1.． However， dogs without owners to care for them lead a different kind of life． The expression， to lead a dog's life， describes a person who has an unhappy life．
Some people say we live in a dog﹣eat﹣dog world．2.． They say if a person wants to be successful he has to work like a dog． This means they have to work very， very hard． Such hard work can make people dog﹣tired． And， the situation would be even worse if they became sick as a dog．
3.． This means that every person enjoys a successful period during his or her life． To be successful， people often have to learn new skills． Yet， some people say that you can never teach an old dog new tricks． They believe that older people do not like to learn new things and will not change the way they do things．
4.． People who are unkind or uncaring can be described as meaner than a junkyard dog． Junkyard dogs live in places where people throw away things they do not want． But mean dogs are often used guard this property． They bark or attack people who try to enter the property． However， sometimes a person who appears to be mean and threatening is really not so bad． We say his bark is worse than his bite．
Dog expressions are also used to describe the weather． The dog days of summer are the hottest days of the year． A rain in summer may cool the weather． But we do not want it to rain too hard．5.．
A． We do not want it to rain cats and dogs．
B． Still， people say every dog has its day．
C． Some people are compared to dogs in bad days．
D．There are many other expressions waiting for you to explore．
E． Dogs are their best friends and they are loyal to people．
F． That means many people are competing for the same things， like good jobs．
G． They take their dogs for walks， let them play outside and give them good food and medical care．
高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
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I was in the fifth grade when I first dipped my fingers into the endless ocean of expression and allowed my hands to grow a(n)_______.
I remember my hands being sweaty as I wandered _______ into her classroom. From corner to corner, the_______were decorated with clippings (剪报) and posters _______ Deafness and American Sign Language. Pictures of _______hands hung from the bulletin boards (宣传牌).
Once the rest of my classmates _______ in their seats, she began. She did not speak. Her hands _______ about gracefully as she signed, “Hello. My name is Ms. Lewison. Your name what?” These signs did not _______ until later that week, but still I sat upright at my desk, trying to figure them out. My entire first impression of her was “_______”.
As months passed, my class transformed to an unusually large family. Ms. Lewison was like our ________. When we were feeling troubled, we just let our ________do the talking. The lesson became less about following the lesson itself and more about ________.
Ms. Lewsion performed a tough task. She ________ repla
ced all the ignorance in me with ________. Then she opened my ________ and opened it even wider. She would find time to turn me into a ________ signer. She taught me that there are no limits and my abilities are ________.Today my fingers have learned to ________. Ms. Lewison pushed me ________ into the ocean of Deaf Culture and I have become a strong swimmer in diverse ________.
1.A. picture B. voice C. order D. poster
2.A. calmly B. excitedly C. quickly D. anxiously
3.A. walls B. ocean C. students D. desks
4.A. caused by B. related to C. contributing to D. aimed at
5.A. welcoming B. outstanding C. signing D. waving
6.A. settled B. seated C. backed D. locked
7.A. flowed B. wandered C. flew D. came
8.A. draw attention B. make sense C. catch sight D. hold breath
9.A. silent B. dull C. strange D. strict
10.A. teacher B. partner C. friend D. mother
11.A. bodies B. hearts C. hands D. eyes
12.A. sings B. language C. love D. life
13.A. successfully B. finally C. easily D. unwillingly
14.A. confidence B. patience C. curiosity D. freedom
15.A. mouth B. mind C. arms D. fingers
16.A. clever B. unique C. special D. fluent
17.A. endless B. strong C. weak D. uncertain
18.A. dip B. dance C. swim D. think
19.A. firmly B. hardly C. gently D. heavily
20.A. classes B. worlds C. families D. waters
高二英语完形填空困难题查看答案及解析
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From the first use of the rocket to carry satellites into space to the setting up of space stations，human beings have achieved many successes.But there are still numerous tasks in front of us and we should not stop trying to progress.
The international space station is an important step we should take in space exploration.It is not only helpful but also necessary.It provides a proper space environment for many experiments that we have wanted to do for a long time.It is also a base for observing the earth and the universe.It could also be an important base for later travel to the moon and Mars.In a word，if we want to explore space more，the first thing we should do is to set up a space station.
As the space station costs a lot of money，it is hard for one country alone to establish one.The US seems to be the only country that has the ability to build a space station alone，and it has tried to do so，but not very successful.So it aggregated many other countries to work on it together.Though it is still extremely expensive，it is much cheaper than doing it alone.It is really a job that needs everyone’s effort and will benefit everyone.
But even so，the funds (资金) needed are still a big problem.As for the US，it seems that it has too many things to spend its money on.Although it is the richest country in the world，it has much debt every year.It has to try to find a balance in all these issues.
1.What is the author’s attitude towards building and developing the international space station？
A. Supportive. B. Doubtful.
C. Worried. D. Reserved.
2.From Paragraph 2 we can learn that ______________.
A. the necessity of building the international space station is not realized now
B. many experiments have been done in the international space station
C. the international space station is necessary for people to explore space further
D. people have travelled to Mars from the international space station
3.Which of the following is NOT a reason for countries’cooperation in building the international space station？
A. It will benefit every participating country.
B. No country is able to build it alone.
C. It needs everyone’s effort.
D. It requires a lot of money.
4.All the following aspects about building the international space station are mentioned EXCEPT ______________.
A. difficulties B. cost
C. importance D. waste
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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I had to ______ because someone else wanted to use the phone.
A. hang on B. keep up C. hang up D. ring up
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
ced all the ignorance in me with ________. Then she opened my ________ and opened it even wider. She would find time to turn me into a ________ signer. She taught me that there are no limits and my abilities are ________.