People around the world have their own ways o...

People around the world have their own ways of celebrating weddings. Now let’s compare Eastern and Western weddings.

Chinese and Indian brides normally wear red dresses and most of the wedding decorations are of the same color. This is because the color red is said to bring good fortune. In many Eastern weddings, especially Chinese weddings, the bride will change into a different dress after the ceremony. White dresses only arrived in modern times because of the influence of Western wedding dress designs.

Western wedding dresses are different. Brides usually wear a wedding dress that is white in color and wear it throughout the whole wedding. Wearing white wedding dresses is said to have started in the 1840s, beginning with Queen Victoria, Queen of Great Britain. There are occasions when brides dress into more comfortable clothing so that they will be able to move more freely during the wedding reception.

Traditional practices are strictly followed for most Western weddings. The couple follow up with any plans they have agreed and decided on to make their special wedding day unique and memorable. Wedding receptions and other celebrations differ among the East and the West, but the concept is still the same. They are held to show gratitude towards family members, friends and guests for being a part of the wedding ceremony.

Another common custom that weddings of the East and the West have is the wearing of the wedding veil(面纱). According to superstitious(迷信的) beliefs, the bride wears a veil to protect her from being seen by evil spirits and the bridesmaids are decoys(诱饵). This is still followed even today.

1.Queen Victoria is said to be the first woman in Britain to ________.

A. have a bridesmaid

B. wear a veil as a bride

C. wear a white wedding dress

D. wear a casual dress for the reception

2.According to superstitious beliefs, having bridesmaids is to ________.

A. protect guests                        B. comfort brides

C. trick evil spirits                    D. bring good fortune

3.The passage is mainly developed ________.

A. by time            B. by space            C. by process            D. by comparison

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Now many young people are traveling around the world on their own, not because they have no one to travel with, but because they prefer to go alone.

Kristina Wegscheider from California first traveled alone when she was at college and believes that it is something everyone should do at least once in their life. “It opens up your mind to new things and pushes you out of your comfort zone.” Wegscheider has visited 46 countries covering all seven continents.

In foreign countries, with no one to help you read a map, look after you if you get ill, or lend you money if your wallet is stolen, it is challenging. This is what drives young people to travel alone. It is seen as character building and a chance to prove that they can make it on their own.

Chris Richardson decided to leave his sales job in Australia to go traveling last year. He set up a website, The Aussie Nomad, to document his adventures. He says he wished he had traveled alone earlier. “The people you meet, the places you visit, or the things you do, everything is up to you and it forces you to grow as a person,” said the 30-year-old man.

Richardson describes traveling alone like “a shot in the arm”, which “makes you a more confident person that is ready to deal with anything”. He said, “The feeling of having overcome something on my own is a major part of what drives me each day when I’m dealing with a difficult task. I walk around with my head up because I know deep down inside that nothing is impossible if you try.”

The great 19thcentury explorer John Muir once said, “Only by going alone in silence can one truly get into the heart of the wilderness.”

1.Which of the following will Kristina Wegscheider agree with?

A. Traveling alone is a necessary experience for everyone.

B. It is more meaningful to travel in foreign countries.

C. It is comfortable to travel around without a friend.

D. Traveling abroad helps people to find new things.

2.Traveling alone is challenging because ________.

A. you have to make things on your own

B. it is hard for you to prove yourself to others

C. you can only depend on yourself whatever happens

D. it will finally build your character

3.What can we infer about Chris Richardson?

A. He started traveling alone at an early age.

B. He was once shot in the arm.

C. He used to work as a salesman.

D. His website inspires others a lot.

4.What is the best title for the passage?

A. Travel Abroad　　 B. Travel Alone

C. Travel Light　　 D. Travel Wide and Far

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

On March 17, people around the world celebrate the Irish holiday of Saint Patrick’s Day. It is a major holiday in Ireland, but the rest of the world has influenced its celebration as much as the Irish themselves.

Most Americans think of Saint Patrick’s Day as a big party centered around drinking alcohol. But its beginnings in Ireland were religious, says Mike Cronin, a professor of Irish history with Boston College of Massachusetts.

Ireland is a mostly Roman Catholic country. Saint Patrick lived in Ireland more than 2,000 years ago. He is widely considered to have established Christianity in the country. The Church honored him with a holy day in the 17th century. March 17 marks the date of his death. The average Irish person honored March 17 quietly. Attending church services was the main activity. In fact, most businesses that served alcohol would close in honor of the day.

In the early 1900s, Ireland’s government made St. Patrick’s Day an official holiday. By the 1960s, towns across Ireland started celebrating the holiday with parades and music. In Ireland today, St. Patrick’s Day is a four-day public celebration that includes parades, music, food, and games.

For Irish people living outside Ireland, Saint Patrick’s Day became a chance to celebrate their Irish identity and culture. Now, countries and cities around the world celebrate March 17 in creative ways. Many countries hold Saint Patrick’s Day parades. Famous monuments, including the Great Wall of China, the Niagara Falls, and the Gateway of India in Mumbai will all be colored by green light for the day.

Cronin says that the worldwide popularity of Saint Patrick’s Day has helped the Irish government, which uses the holiday as a form of diplomacy. And for a small island of 4.5 to 5 million people it’s quite remarkable that they have that kind of soft power.

1.How did average Irish people celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day in the 17th century?

A. Drinking alcohol.　　 B. Parading in the streets.

C. Attending church services peacefully.　　 D. Coloring well-known monuments green.

2.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Saint Patrick’s Day is the most significant day in the US.

B. Saint Patrick’s Day plays a role in foreign affairs in Ireland today.

C. Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated worldwide today as in the 17th century.

D. On Saint Patrick’s Day, parades and parties are held throughout America.

3.What is the passage mainly about?

A. The origin of Saint Patrick’s Day.

B. The celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day.

C. The influence of Saint Patrick’s Day on the world.

D. The role of Saint Patrick’s Day in Irish diplomacy.

4.What is Cronin’s attitude towards the popularity of Saint Patrick’s Day?

A. Unclear.　　 B. Neutral.　　 C. Negative.　　 D. Positive.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

British English may have come first, but around the world, the American way of spelling is now far more popular.

A recent examination of the English language shows that publications now largely use the American version swapping words like “centre” for “center” after the 1880s. To get data, researchers used Google’s Ngram Viewer to analyze the words found in all English-language publications from 1800 to 2000. Entering a word into the viewer will show how frequently it occurs within the massive corpus(语料库)of books around the world.

According to the data, this shift was further strengthened around World War I. Since then, English-language publications have preferred “gray” and “flavor” instead of “grey” and “flavour”. The American spelling has continued to grow over the years, with “liter” passing “liter” around 1900, and “center” becoming the more common choice over “centre” in 1913. “1913 marked a turning point in British spelling, as the American alternative became more frequently used in literature,” the post explains, in regard to “center”. This was just a year before the beginning of World War I, which many views as a key period in America’s rise to superpower status.

Though this switched again between 1920s and the late 1930s, the American, spelling took over for good around 1940, during which time the spelling “airplane” shifted dramatically over “aeroplane”.

Ever since the middle of the 19th century, even the British Isles have slowly rejected the old spelling. The future is gray for British English.

1.Which of the following is true?

A. American spelling takes over all the time

B. British people refuse to use American spelling

C. All the media prefer American spelling

D. The change in spelling is more obvious around World War I

2.What’s the main idea of the second paragraph?

A. The popularity of American spelling

B. The examples of the change in spelling

C. The history of English spelling

D. The reason for the change in English spelling

3.The passage is developed _______.

A. by space　　 B. by time

C. by process　　 D. by logic

4.The passage is written to _____.

A. introduce the change of English spelling

B. encourage the change in English spelling

C. compare the difference between American spelling and British spelling

D. introduce different views on English spelling

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A small group of people around the world have started implanting(移植) microchips to link the body and the computer.

Mr. Donelson and three friends, who had driven 100 miles from their homes in Loockport, New York, to have the implants put in by Dr. Jesse Villemaire, whom they had persuaded to do the work, are part of a small group, about 30 people around the world, who have independently put in microchips into their bodies, according to Web-based reports.

At a shop William Donelson was having a four-millimeter-wide needle put into his left hand. “I’m set,”he said with a deep breath. He watched as the needle pierced(刺穿) the fleshy webbing between his thumb and a microchip was set under his skin. At last he would be able to do what he had long imagined: strengthen his body’s powers through technology.

By putting the chip inside—a radio frequency identification device (RFID)—Mr. Donelson would have at his fingertips the same magic that makes safety gates open with a knock of a card, and bridge and tunnel traffic flow smoothly with an E-Zpass. With a wave of his hand he plans to connect with his computer, open doors and unlock his car.

Implanting the chip was relatively simple task but very meaningful to Mr. Doneselson, a 21-year-old computer networking student so interested in the link between technology and the body that he has data-input jacks(数据输入插空) inside his body. They might lead to an imagined future when people can be connected directly into computers. His new chip is enclosed in a glass container no bigger than a piece of rice and has a small memory where he has stored the words “Technology”.

Some doctors have done the piercing in people’s homes, and others have implanted chips in their offices after patients signed forms showing the fact that long-term studies have not been done on their safety. Piercers treat the implants much like any other medical operation steps, instructing people to keep the site dry, and advising them that swelling and redness should last a week.

1.With a RFID implanted, which of the following will Mr. Donelson be able to do?

A. Make a safety gate open with a knock of a card.

B. Make bridge and tunnel traffic flow smoothly with an E-Zpass.

C. Open doors and unlock his car with a wave of his hand.

D. Turn his body and brain directly into computers.

2. The underlined word “they” in paragraph 5 refer to “___________”.

A. glass containers

B. implanted computer chips

C. data input jacks

D. computer and networking students

3. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A. High Tech, Under the Skin

B. A Needle, So Magic

C. Donelson, a Powerful Man

D. Data-input Jacks, Inside the Body

4.We can conclude from the passage that __________________.

A. Mr. Donelson has made a large sum of money by the piercing.

B. the Piercers are people working in the computer field

C. the piercing has no side effect and it will make people intelligent

D. the long term effects of these implants are not yet known

5.What will happen to the site on the body after the operation?

A. There will be swelling and redness.

B. The site will be dry.

C. Nothing will happen at all.

D. The pain will remain for a week.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The Spring Festival is the biggest festival for Chinese people all around the world. The celebration usually lasts for 15 days. There is a lot to do.

On the eve of the Spring Festival, family members get together and have big meals. Their favorite dish on this day is dumplings. Days before the Spring Festival, families will clean their homes. People think cleaning sweeps away bad luck. It makes the house ready for good luck.

The color red is everywhere during the Spring Festival. People think red is a happy color and will bring them a bright future. People wear red, too. They decorate their homes with pieces of red paper. Kids get a lot of “hong bao”. It is a red paper bag with money in it. Usually, older people give younger ones hong bao. They think it brings good luck.

The Spring Festival is the time to make everybody happy. So don’t say any bad words or do anything that will bring unhappiness to other people. For instance, you'd better not say any bad words like “death”. Don’t break anything. People think that it means your luck is running out.

Also, don’t borrow or lend money on these days. If you have borrowed money, return it before the Spring Festival.

1.What do most people do on the eve of the Spring Festival?

A.Family members gather for a big meal. B.Friends eat dumplings together.

C.They borrow money from friends. D.They give each other “hong bao”.

2.Which of the following things is Not supposed to happen during the Spring Festival?

A.Returning money before the Spring Festival.

B.Saying words that have to do with death.

C.Wearing red clothes.

D.Decorating houses with red paper.

3.The underlined phrase “running out” probably means “______”.

A.进来 B.打碎 C.耗尽 D.离开

4.We can tell from the story that the Spring Festival is ____.

A.a time of harvest and fun B.celebrated for one whole month

C.only celebrated in China D.a time for families to get together

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Young people in the United States do not have a strong understanding of the world and their place in it.

Two U．S.­based groups，the Council on Foreign Relations and the National Geographic Society，commissioned an online survey earlier this year.They wanted to know what young people educated in American colleges know about geography，U.S.foreign policy，recent international events，and economics.

The survey was given to over 1,200 Americans between the ages of 18 and 26，all of them presently attending，or having previously graduated from，a 2­ or 4­year college or university.

The average test score，out of 75 total possible answers，was 55 percent.The study identifies a few important problems.For example，only 30 percent knew that the only part of the U．S.government that can declare war is Congress.Only 60% of those taking the survey could identify Brazil on a world map.

Part of the problem，argue the organizers of the survey，is the Internet.They say it is becoming harder to find high­quality information about world events among all the fake news and trivia(琐事)which swamp(淹没)the Web.Forty­three percent of those questioned said they read about the news on Facebook.

Another problem is that most college courses do not require students to learn about international issues.If such information is not required，Richard Haass from the Council on Foreign Relations said，then the United States could have leaders like Gary Johnson.He was a recent presidential candidate who did not know about the Syrian city of Aleppo when a reporter asked him about it.

The survey results were not all bad.The young people also demonstrated a good understanding of climate change and renewable energy.And the majority of them said that international issues were becoming more important to them.

Haass says these findings suggest the need to find ways to get good information to students，both in school and online.To help，the Council on Foreign Relations is creating a new program called CFR Campus，designed to help build knowledge about global issues.

1.What can we learn about the survey?

A.All the participants were recent university graduates.

B.It was given to over 1,200 American people aged from 18 to 26.

C.Its aim is to figure out what the young people know about America.

D.It was an online survey conducted by two US universities.

2.According to the survey，what topic did the young Americans understand best?

A.Environmental matters.

B.Geographic information.

C.Foreign relations.

D.Government organizations.

3.In which column of a newspaper could we find this article?

A.Economics.

B.Entertainment.

C.Education.

D.Politics.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

On March 17 the color green will spread all around the world in celebration of St Patrick's Day. The Irish (爱尔兰人)traditionally wear something green on this day, as the color is associated with Ireland. 1.

Usually these jokes will be about Irish stupidity, their famous thirst for alcohol, or their fame for telling tall (untrue) tales. These characteristics are all based on the most common Irish stereotypes (成见):that the Irish are hot-tempered drinkers who love to fight and will do anything to avoid a day's work.

2. These stereotypes may have rung true back in the 19th century when they started, but they're far from true today, with the exception, perhaps, of the drinking.

Today, the Irish are admired for their storytelling ability, musical talent and strong education. 3. Or that many of the most famous music acts of all time, such as singer Enya and rock band U2, were Irish bom and bred. And in December, Ireland's education system was ranked 11th in the world in a new global top 50 ranking, website independent.ie reported.

4. They can date back to the 19th century, which was a very bad time to be Irish. At that time, Ireland was poverty-stricken and starving. Many Irish moved to the US to escape famine, but there they had to compete ——occasionally with their fists ——for jobs and housing with other immigrant groups. It was on the US，streets that the Irish earned their reputation for street fighting.

5.　 Drinking in Ireland is a predilection (偏好)，but it's not necessarily something to criticize. It was the Irish after all who created one of the world's best-loved beers Guinness.

A. The real joke, however, is that these negative Irish stereotypes still exist.

B. Today, few Irish are interested in this tradition.

C. Ifs no accident that several of the greatest writers of the 20th century were Irish

D. Another St Patrick's　 Day tradition is for the non-Irish to make jokes about the Irish.

E. Why do Irish people love to drink so much?

F. So where did the negative Irish stereotypes come from?.

G. However, one bit of the Irish stereotype is still true, their love of drink.

高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析

I’ve always had strong opinions of how love should be expressed, but others have their own ways of showing care.

What I ______ most about visiting my boyfriend’s parents is the loud tick of the clock in the dining room as we ______ ate our meal．With so little conversation I was quick to regard his family as ____．When we got into the car to go home, his father suddenly appeared．_____, he began to wash his son’s windscreen．I could feel he is a ____man through the glass.

I learned another lesson about ______a few years later．My father often ____ me early in the morning．“Buy Xerox．It’s a good sharp price,” he might say when I answered the phone．No pleasant _____ or inquiry about my life, just financial instructions. This manner of his angered　 me and we often ____．But one day, I thought about my father’s success in business and realized that his______for my financial security lay behind his short morning calls．The next time he called and told me to buy a stock，I______him．

When my social style has ______with that of my friends, I’ve often felt disappointed．For example, I always return phone calls _____ and regularly contact my friends．I expect the same from them．I had one friend who ______called, answering my messages with short e-mails．I rushed to the ______: She wasn’t a good friend! My anger grew as the holidays approached．But then she came to a gathering I _____ and handed me a beautiful dress I had fallen in love with when we did some window-shopping the previous month．I was shocked at her thoughtfulness, and ____ for how I’d considered her to be uncaring．Clearly I needed to ____ my expectations of friends.

Far too often, I ignored their ____ expressions, eagerly expecting them to do things in my way .Over the years, however, I’ve learned to ____ other persons’ love signs.

1.A. admire　　 B. enjoy　　 C. remember　　 D. forget

2.A. excitedly　　 B. silently　　 C. nervously　　 D. instantly

3.A. cold　　 B. friendly　　 C. attractive　　 D. polite

4.A. Proudly　　 B. Secretly　　 C. Carefully　　 D. Violently

5.A. boring　　 B. caring　　 C. funny　　 D. stubborn

6.A. value　　 B. respect　　 C. love　　 D. courage

7.A. warned　　 B. telephoned　　 C. visited　　 D. interrupted

8.A. excuse　　 B. meeting　　 C. apology　　 D. greetings

9.A. fought　　 B. encouraged　　 C. quarreled　　 D. laughed

10.A. concern　　 B. blame　　 C. regret　　 D. pride

11.A. thanked　　 B. ignored　　 C. held　　 D. praised

12.A. associated　　 B. conflicted　　 C. agreed　　 D. linked

13.A. in order　　 B. in turn　　 C. without delay　　 D. without doubt

14.A. rarely　　 B. regularly　　 C. usually　　 D. normally

15.A. judgment　　 B. suggestion　　 C. decision　　 D. condition

16.A. opened　　 B. refused　　 C. hosted　　 D. invited

17.A. depressed　　 B. regretful　　 C. fascinated　　 D. pitiful

18.A. develop　　 B. own　　 C. find　　 D. change

19.A. pleasant　　 B. common　　 C. unique　　 D. familiar

20.A. give　　 B. read　　 C. write　　 D. send

高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

As everybody knows, some people have their principles. Of course ______ also have their own opinions. I have opinions about what I think is right or ______ or good or bad. But they’re only opinions! I won’t try to build my life upon my opinions, but I’ll try to ______ my principles.

It’s said that a 17-year-old boy learned a lesson about life principles. He found a woman’s ______ that contained ￡127 and her ______. He jumped onto his bicycle and rode to her house---about a mile away. The woman gave him a(n) ______ and twenty pounds. That evening the boy told his parents about the ______ and his father said, “I don’t think you should have ______ ￡20 for doing what you should have done. A person shouldn’t be rewarded for being ______.”

There’s no denying that the boy thought over his father’s ______ and then he rode to the lady’s home again and gave the ______ back to her. She didn’t want to take it, but he told her she had to and that his father ______ something to him that he had never ______ before.

In my opinion, if we are always honest and insist on the personal ______ of always doing the right thing, we will ______ change. These great principles shape our lives and make us into persons of character. They build ______ and teach confidence. It’s pretty obvious that the boy is fortunate to be ______ by a wise father.

In a word, ______ Martin Luther King, Jr. said it well, “The time is always right to do what is right.” Those were his principles. Decide to always do what is ______, today and every day, and you will find yourself building a life that ______.

1.A. some　　 B. others　　 C. another　　 D. other

2.A. wrong　　 B. unnecessary　　 C. impossible　　 D. difficult

3.A. go through　　 B. make out　　 C. give away　　 D. stick to

4.A. envelope　　 B. drawer　　 C. basket　　 D. purse

5.A. address　　 B. means　　 C. solution　　 D. delivery

6.A. suggestion　　 B. number　　 C. hug　　 D. introduction

7.A. problem　　 B. secret　　 C. accident　　 D. experience

8.A. received　　 B. accepted　　 C. brought　　 D. gave

9.A. honest　　 B. pleased　　 C. depressed　　 D. perfect

10.A. anger　　 B. explanations　　 C. words　　 D. encouragements

11.A. card　　 B. money　　 C. present　　 D. expense

12.A. pointed out　　 B. gave in　　 C. sold out　　 D. found out

13.A. realized　　 B. took　　 C. afforded　　 D. remembered

14.A. condition　　 B. standard　　 C. fortune　　 D. treasure

15.A. probably　　 B. nearly　　 C. instantly　　 D. actually

16.A. bodies　　 B. miles　　 C. self-esteem　　 D. situation

17.A. honored　　 B. praised　　 C. raised　　 D. warned

18.A. which　　 B. if　　 C. as　　 D. but

19.A. ridiculous　　 B. accurate　　 C. boring　　 D. absurd

20.A. makes　　 B. decides　　 C. expects　　 D. matters

高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析