Many of us have heard of the saying: everythi...

Many of us have heard of the saying: everything is possible if you can just believe. But few of us really know the power of faith and perseverance. South African swimmer Natalie du Toit embodies those virtues.

Du Toit, became the first swimmer to compete in both the Olympic Games and the Paralympics(残奥会)in Beijing. Although she finished 16th in the tough 10 km marathon in the able-bodied Games. she has collected three golds in the Paralympics so far.

One of the most successful disabled athletes of all time, Natalie du Toit was already a promising swimmer when she lost her leg in a motorcycle accident in 2001, at just 17.

“There are a lot of dark moments,” du Toit said. “There are some days when I cry. But I try to remember that better days are ahead. You just go on.”

Within a few months, she was back in the swimming pool.

She still competes and still succeeds. The only difference is that she has switched to longer events--from 200 m and 400 m individual medley to 800 m and 1,500 m freestyle--to make up for her loss of speed with only one leg. But she made no adjustment to her mental outlook(精神面貌).

“Going out in the water, it feels as if there's nothing wrong with me. It doesn’t matter if you look different. you're still the same as everybody else because you have the same dream.”

She is the owner of many world records, and she also won gold when competing against able-bodied swimmers in the 1, 500 m freestyle at the All Africa Games in 2007.

But there is no magic recipe for success. It all comes down to hard work and determination. “She is stubborn, which is good and bad, ” said her coach Karoly Von Toros. “Good for the swimming, but bad for the coach.”

There is a poem that hangs on her wall that reads:

The tragedy of life does not lie in not reaching your goals;

The tragedy of life lies in not having goals to reach for.

1.Natalie du Toit is a vivid example that　　　　　　　　　 .

A. you are what you believe

B. your biggest enemy is yourself

C. results are not so Important as the process

D. you must set reasonable goals or you will fail

2.The underlined word in the first paragraph means　　　　　　　　　 .

A. makes　　 B. creates

C. represents　　 D. introduces

3.According to the text, Natalie du Toit became　　　　　　　　　 .

A. the first athlete to compete with able-bodied swimmers in the world

B. the youngest disabled swimmer to break the worl record in the 1, 500 m freestyle

C. the youngest disabled swimmer to collect three golds in a single Paralympics

D. the first swimmer to compete in both the Olympic Games and the Paralympics

4.Which of the following is the correct order of the events that happened to Natalie du Toit?

a.She won gold at the All Africa Games

b. She finished 16th in the tough 10 km marathon in the Olympics

c. She adjusted herself to long events

d.A motorcycle accident disabled her.

A. cdab　　 B. dcba

C. dcab　　 D. dacb

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When it comes to problem solving, many of us have heard of the skills of the crow (乌鸦) in Aesop’s Fables (《伊索寓言》).

In the story, a thirsty crow comes across a bottle of water, but the water level (水平面) is out of its reach. The bird then drops small stones into it until the water level rises enough for the bird to drink.

“Oh, it’s just a fable,” you may think. After all, it’s hard to imagine birds knowing about “problem solving”.

But new research has found that crows’ brains may sometimes be better than those of 6-year-old children.

In a recent experiment, US scientist Corina Logan and her team caught six crows to test them. There were two tubes (试管) of water, one wide and the other narrow (窄的). Each crow was given four stones, enough to help them get the water in the narrow tube, but not the wide one.

Surprisingly, the crows dropped all or most of the stones into the narrower tube and got the food reward! They had found out the cause-and-effect relationship.Using such brains, crows are making their lives easier. For example, some crows in cities have learned to use road traffic for breaking nuts, National Geographic News reported.

But how are their wits (智力) compared to humans’? Logan’s team did another experiment, this time on both crows and children.

Here, the crows and children had to choose between two sets of tubes.

With the red set, when they dropped a stone into a wide tube, the water level raised in a connected narrow tube that contained food.

The blue set of tubes, however, had no connection between them. So dropping a stone in the wide tube did not cause the water level to rise in the narrow tube.

Children aged 7 to 10 were able to learn the rule. Children aged 4 to 6, however, failed.

Five of the six crows failed the test. But Kitty, a 6-month-old crow, passed it. She put all or most of the stones into the red tube.

So, could a bird be more clever than a kindergartner? Don’t be too quick to say no.

1.Why is Aesop’s Fables mentioned in the beginning of the article?

A. To introduce the idea that crows are smart.

B. To show that fables about crows are wrong.

C. To explain why crows can solve problems.

D. To prove that crows can be better than babies at problem solving.

2.What have Logan’s team found out from their recent experiments?

A. Crows prefer to get their food reward from wider tubes.

B. Crows are able to understand or learn cause and effect relationships.

C. Crows can easily recognize the tubes with a food reward inside.

D. Some crows even make use of road traffic to help them break nuts.

3.What can we learn from the experiment on crows and children?

A. Five of the six crows threw stones into the red tube.

B. Children aged 6 did better than children aged 4.

C. One crow passed the test while the younger children didn’t.

D. Some crows proved to be more clever than children aged 10.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Have you heard of the saying, “If anything is worth doing, it is worth doing well”? The proverb is a piece of advice to make effects towards perfection in whichever job one does. It could be a small task like folding up your clothes, or a major one like organizing a business meeting in your later life.

Perfection just needs paying attention to details. If it is your job to dust the furniture at home, dust it so that not a single spot of dirt shows from any direction. If your task is to make the beds, make them so that not a single crease（皱纹）shows on the bed-covers.

There are only two ways to do a job: either sloppily, or well. If you choose the latter, you need to realize that any job that qualifies as (取得…的资格)“your” work deserves your best. Perfection is an attitude that can be developed with just a little effect. It is a habit that is helpful to a person in later life. Let us prove with an example: you may be asked to turn in an essay on, for example, wildlife, for a school project. Instead of writing carelessly a few facts that you already know, you could make the project more effective by looking up a reference books, encyclopedias（百科全书）or websites for additional information. You could then go over the finished essay for slips（疏漏）and errors, and provide pictures where necessary. If you make it a habit to put in extra effort in your school homework, will it not help you to handle more difficult projects at the college or university level?

As Michelangelo, the famous 16th century sculptor and painter, once put it: Trifles（琐事）go to make perfection, and perfection is no trifle.

1.According to the passage, to achieve perfection is _______.

2.The underlined word “sloppily” in paragraph 3 may mean _______

3.What can be inferred from the third paragraph?

4.The purpose of writing this passage is to _______.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Some say college is wasted on the young. So many of us look back at our own college years and realize what we could have done differently to make the most of them. While we can’t go back, we certainly can offer our sons and daughters our best advice to help them make the right choices in college. Hopefully, they will have fewer regrets than we do. Following are five guidelines parents can share with their college-bound kids to put the whole experience in perspective.

EDUCATION IS YOUR FIRST PRIORITY

As soon as you arrive on campus, there will be competing interests. Feel free to check them out but always remember that you are there first and foremost for your education. Go to class prepared and on time. Be engaged during class. Make sure your professor knows you and realizes that you care.

BE RESPONSIBLE

There are many layers of responsibility. Do what you say you will do and, if you can’t, confess it early and communicate clearly. But being responsible isn’t just about meeting your commitments; it is also about taking care of you, your body, and your friends. For example, more than 1800 college students die annually from alcohol-related injuries. Look out for yourself and other people. Make moderate, sensible decisions so you aren’t reeling from(受…影响) the consequences later.

TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY

Incredible opportunities will present themselves: studying abroad, interning at a unique place, trying new things. Don’t let fear prevent you from taking advantage of them. There may never be so much time or as many resources devoted to your betterment again in your life. Say yes to opportunities that will help you grow.

FIND AND BE A MENTOR

Some of the best lessons available to us can come outside of the classroom in the form of a mentor(良师益友). One of the most powerful growth opportunities is being a mentor. Early on, find someone on campus who you feel can help you grow and develop a relationship with him or her. Also find someone for you to mentor. You will reinforce and enrich your own learning experience by teaching someone else.

GET THE JOB DONE

It is natural to occasionally feel you want to quit, when it makes more sense to you to go find a full-time job. Resist that urge. As Jocelyn Negron-Rios, a mother of two, who is currently completing her degree, advises, “No matter how difficult it seems, keep at it because however insurmountable（不可克服的） it feels now multiply that by 10,000 and that is how it feels when you are in your thirties with a full-time job and a family and are trying to pursue a degree.”

1.According to the passage, the most important thing for college students is ______.

A. taking part in different activities

B. working hard to get a degree

C. seizing every chance to try new things

D. improving themselves by learning from the others

2.Which of the following about college life is true?

A. Passing on what you’ve learned in college can help you enrich your learning experience.

B. Make sure that you are responsible for yourself rather than others.

C. Professors will not assess your performances in class but the grades you get in exams.

D. You can make full use of the opportunity whenever you want.

3.What can we infer from the words said by Jocelyn in the last paragraph?

A. Persistence is the key to success when you meet with difficulties in your learning process.

B. It is better if you gain more working experience before you finish your education.

C. As long as you work hard, you can gain a degree even when you are in your thirties.

D. Youth is the best time to learn since you have less burden.

4.What is the main purpose of the passage?

A. To give some rules for the college students.

B. To call on the students to make full use of college years.

C. To summarize some tips for parents to share with their children.

D. To analyze the benefits and difficulties of college life.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Some say college is wasted on the young. So many of us look back at our own college years and realize what we could have done differently to make the most of them. While we can’t go back, we certainly can offer our sons and daughters our best advice to help them make the right choices in college. Hopefully, they will have fewer regrets than we do. Following are five guidelines parents can share with their college-bound kids to put the whole experience in perspective.

EDUCATION IS YOUR FIRST PRIORITY

As soon as you arrive on campus, there will be competing interests. Feel free to check them out but always remember that you are there first and foremost for your education. Go to class prepared and on time. Be engaged during class. Make sure your professor knows you and realizes that you care.

BE RESPONSIBLE

There are many layers of responsibility. Do what you say you will do and, if you can’t, confess it early and communicate clearly. But being responsible isn’t just about meeting your commitments; it is also about taking care of you, your body, and your friends. For example, more than 1800 college students die annually from alcohol-related injuries. Look out for yourself and other people. Make moderate, sensible decisions so you aren’t reeling from(受…影响) the consequences later.

TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY

Incredible opportunities will present themselves: studying abroad, interning at a unique place, trying new things. Don’t let fear prevent you from taking advantage of them. There may never be so much time or as many resources devoted to your betterment again in your life. Say yes to opportunities that will help you grow.

FIND AND BE A MENTOR

Some of the best lessons available to us can come outside of the classroom in the form of a mentor(良师益友). One of the most powerful growth opportunities is being a mentor. Early on, find someone on campus who you feel can help you grow and develop a relationship with him or her. Also find someone for you to mentor. You will reinforce and enrich your own learning experience by teaching someone else.

GET THE JOB DONE

It is natural to occasionally feel you want to quit, when it makes more sense to you to go find a full-time job. Resist that urge. As Jocelyn Negron-Rios, a mother of two, who is currently completing her degree, advises, “No matter how difficult it seems, keep at it because however insurmountable（不可克服的） it feels now multiply that by 10,000 and that is how it feels when you are in your thirties with a full-time job and a family and are trying to pursue a degree.”

1.According to the passage, the most important thing for college students is ______.

A. taking part in different activities

B. working hard to get a degree

C. seizing every chance to try new things

D. improving themselves by learning from the others

2.Which of the following about college life is true?

A. Passing on what you’ve learned in college can help you enrich your learning experience.

B. Make sure that you are responsible for yourself rather than others.

C. Professors will not assess your performances in class but the grades you get in exams.

D. You can make full use of the opportunity whenever you want.

3.What can we infer from the words said by Jocelyn in the last paragraph?

A. Persistence is the key to success when you meet with difficulties in your learning process.

B. It is better if you gain more working experience before you finish your education.

C. As long as you work hard, you can gain a degree even when you are in your thirties.

D. Youth is the best time to learn since you have less burden.

4.What is the main purpose of the passage?

A. To give some rules for the college students.

B. To call on the students to make full use of college years.

C. To summarize some tips for parents to share with their children.

D. To analyze the benefits and difficulties of college life.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。

1.Why have many people done everything possible to make sure the test goes smoothly?

A. Because the students have less choices now.

B. Because the test has become more important than in the past.

C. Because the test is an important and life changing event.

2.What is TRUE about traffic control during the Gaokao?

A. It lasts for a long time.

B. It aims to create a peaceful environment for students.

C. It does not only happen around the examination sites.

3.What is the most important lesson students should learn before graduation?

A. Respect other people's interests.

B. Don’t be too sensitive to the Gaokao.

C. Depend on themselves in life.

4.What is the speaker's attitude toward traffic control in the end?

A. Negative.　　 B. Positive.　　 C. Uninterested.

高二英语短文中等难度题查看答案及解析

“Love your neighbor as yourself" is a saying familiar to most of us. It means that you must have the ability to love and accept yourself in order to form and keep satisfying relationship with others. Self-esteem means accepting yourself for who you really are, and believing that you are indeed a worthwhile person who is deserving of love and respect from others.

Self-esteem is our sense of how good we feel about ourselves. It is based on our judgment of ourselves, not on other people's assessment, but simply on our own. Our self-esteem is not dependent on our talent. Some very ordinary people feel very good about themselves, while other extraordinarily high achievers hold low opinions of themselves.

Self-esteem is the primary key to long-term stress management. Why? The first three sources of stress are: predictable life event, unexpected changes and build-up of daily stresses. These are much easier to handle when we believe in ourselves. A positive, healthy self-esteem gives us the “hardiness” (强健) to deal with the difficulties of life, and to see them as challenges to be met, rather than threats to be feared.

The fourth category of stress is entirely the result of a low self-esteem. It is the category of stress that is most common and tiring over the long run. This kind of stress cannot be overcome, or even changed, until the self-esteem problems that cause it are corrected.

Learning to love yourself for who you are is the key to overcoming stress. Self-esteem comes from the self, and cannot be promoted by others. A person who feels that his self-esteem comes from the approval of those around him or her is bound to self-destruct (自毁). One cannot keep the level of “performance” required to please everyone else, especially if that performance disagrees with who you are and is simply a facade that makes you popular with the world. When the applause is gone, there is nothing left.

Only those who can feel the strength of knowing who they are and those who can feel good about that will survive the stresses of life. Self-esteem is the basis of contentment and positive living.

1.What is the key to overcoming stress according to the passage?

A. Removing yourself from stressful situation.

B. Learning to love yourself for who you are.

C. Facing the stress and dealing with it.

D. Getting help from friends.

2.What does the underlined word "facade" (in Para 5) mean?

A. A false appearance.　　 B. A big worry.

C. A wrong action.　　 　　　 D. A strange feeling.

3.The passage is written to ______.

A. tell people how to overcome stress

B. help people form good relationship with others

C. show the importance of feeling good about yourself

D. provide the different methods to get a clear view of yourself

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

This is the age of being busy. Many of us live in busy places and have busy lives. Even the roads are busy as we try to get from here to there. Adults are busy going to jobs and taking care of their families. Kids are busy, too, going to school and doing a lot of homework after school and on weekends.

Busy isn’t bad, necessarily. If you are not busy enough you might be bored. But if you are too busy, you might break down. For example, if you have a soccer game that runs late on a school night and you haven’t eaten dinner or done your homework, that’s a not-so-fun kind of busy. We wanted to know what kids thought, so we did a kidsPoll about being busy with 882girls and boys aged 9 to 13.

Almost all of them said they felt stressed because they were too busy. About half said they felt this way once in a while or some of the time. But 17% said they felt this way most of the time and 24% said they felt this all the time! Oh dear, that’s no fun.

Only 4% of kids said they wanted less free time and 18% said they already had just the right amount. But, no big surprise, 61% of kids wish they had a lot more free time. If they had more time, most would spend it hanging out or playing with friends.

Often, adults plan large parts of a kid ’s day, especially during the school year. kids can’t tell their parents they’ll be skipping school(逃学) today to get more free time! But they can tell their parents they’d like to play a game or read a book during their free time instead of watching TV.

1.The purpose of the first paragraph is to _____.

2.By giving the example of a late soccer game, the writer intends to tell us______.

3.According to the passage, the KidsPoll is done to carry out research on _____.

4.From the passage, we can infer that the writer agrees kids can_____.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Many of us have heard stories about teachers who can “see” into a student’s future. Even if a student is not performing well, they can predict success. We are convinced that this ability, this gift, is evidence that they were “called to teach.” If the gift of sight is evidence, how greater must be the gift of touch. I have a story.

I grew up in the fifties in a poor African American neighborhood in Stockton, California, that had neither sidewalks nor an elementary school. Each day, always in groups at our parents’ insistence, my friends and I would leave home early enough to walk eight blocks to school and be in our seats when the bell rang. For four blocks, we walked on dusty roads. By the fifth block, we walked on sidewalks that led to lovely homes and to Fair Oaks Elementary School. It was at Fair Oaks, in a sixth grade English class, that I met Ms. Victoria Hunter, a teacher who had a huge influence on my life.

During reading periods, she would walk around the room, stop at our desks, stand over us for a second or two, and then touch us. Without saying anything to us (nothing could break the silence of reading periods), she would place two fingers lightly on our throats and hold them there for seconds. I learned many years later when I was a student at Stanford University that teachers touch the throat of students to check for sub-vocalization (默读), which slows down the reading speed. I did not know at the time why Ms. Hunter was touching our throats, but I was a serious and respectful student and so, during silent reading period, I did what Ms. Hunter told us to do. I kept my eyes on the material I was reading and waited for her to place her fingers lightly on my throat.

One day, out of curiosity, I raised my head from my book — though not high — so that I could see Ms. Hunter, a white woman from Canada, moving up and down the rows, stopping at the desks of my classmates. I wanted to see how they reacted when she touched their throats. She walked past them. I was confused. Did she pass them by because they were model students? What did we, the students who were touched, not do right? I sat up straighter in my chair, thinking that my way of sitting might be the problem. I was confused. Several days later, I watched again, this time raising my head a little higher. Nothing changed. Ms. Hunter touched the same students. Always, she touched me.

She touched me with her hands. She also touched me with her belief in my ability to achieve. She motivated me by demanding the best from me and by letting teachers I would meet in junior high school know that I should be challenged, that I would be serious about my work. I am convinced that she touched me because she could “see” me in the future. That was true of all of us at Fair Oaks who sat still and silent as Ms. Hunter placed her fingers lightly on our throats. We left Fair Oaks as “best students,” entered John Marshall Junior High School, finished at the top of our high school class, and went on to earn graduate degrees in various subjects. Ms. Hunter saw us achieving and she touched us to make certain that we would.

I was not surprised that she came to my graduation ceremony at Edison High School in Stockton or that she talked to me about finishing college and earning a Ph. D. She expected that of me. She gave me a beautifully wrapped box. Inside was a gift, the beauty of which multiplies even as it touches me: a necklace to which I can add charms for each stage of my life.

1.According to the writer, what is a special ability many good teachers possess?

A. The ability to make all students behave well.

B. The ability to treat different students in the same way.

C. The ability to discover a student’s potential to succeed.

D. The ability to predict the near future of a poor student.

2.When she saw Ms. Hunter walk past some students without touching their throats, the writer felt ______.

A. disturbed    B. puzzled    C. ashamed    D. annoyed

3.According to the passage, how did Ms. Hunter motivate the writer?

A. By correcting the way she sat.

B. By having high expectations of her.

C. By sending her a valuable necklace.

D. By communicating with her parents often.

4.What does the writer mean by “a necklace to which I can add charms for each stage of my life” (paragraph 6)?

A. A gift which encourages me to do well on the journey of my life.

B. A gift which becomes more and more valuable as time goes by.

C. A necklace which I wear on all important occasions in my life.

D. A necklace which suits me and adds to my charm.

5.The writer’s attitude towards Ms. Hunter might be described as _____.

A. disappointed    B. grateful

C. doubtful     D. sympathetic

6.Which of the following serves as the best title for the story?

A. Ms. Hunter’s Surprise    B. Ms. Hunter’s Challenge

C. A Teacher’s Touch    D. A Teacher’s Memory

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Many of us have heard stories about teachers who can “see” into a student’s future. Even if a student is not performing well, they can predict success. We are convinced that this ability, this gift, is evidence that they were “called to teach” . If the gift of sight is evidence, how greater must be the gift of touch. I have a story.

I grew up in the fifties in a poor African American neighborhood in Stockton, California, that had neither sidewalks nor an elementary school. Each day, always in groups at our parents’ insistence, my friends and I would leave home early enough to walk eight blocks to school and be in our seats when the bell rang. For four blocks, we walked on dusty roads. By the fifth block, we walked on sidewalks that led to lovely homes and to Fair Oaks Elementary School. It was at Fair Oaks, in a sixth grade English class, that I met Ms. Victoria Hunter, a teacher who had a huge influence on my life.

During reading periods, she would walk around the room, stop at our desks, stand over us for a second or two, and then touch us. Without saying anything to us (nothing could break the silence of reading periods), she would place two fingers lightly on our throats and hold them there for seconds. I learned many years later when I was a student at Stanford University that teachers touch the throat of students to check for sub-vocalization (默读), which slows down the reading speed. I did not know at the time why Ms. Hunter was touching our throats, but I was a serious and respectful student and so, during silent reading period, I did what Ms. Hunter told us to do. I kept my eyes on the material I was reading and waited for her to place her fingers lightly on my throat.

One day, out of curiosity, I raised my head from my book — though not high — so that I could see Ms. Hunter, a white woman from Canada, moving up and down the rows, stopping at the desks of my classmates. I wanted to see how they reacted when she touched their throats. She walked past them. I was confused. Did she pass them by because they were model students? What did we, the students who were touched, not do right? I sat up straighter in my chair, thinking that my way of sitting might be the problem. I was confused. Several days later, I watched again, this time raising my head a little higher. Nothing changed. Ms. Hunter touched the same students. Always, she touched me.

She touched me with her hands. She also touched me with her belief in my ability to achieve. She motivated me by demanding the best from me and by letting teachers I would meet in junior high school know that I should be challenged, that I would be serious about my work. I am convinced that she touched me because she could “see” me in the future. That was true of all of us at Fair Oaks who sat still and silent as Ms. Hunter placed her fingers lightly on our throats. We left Fair Oaks as “best students,” entered John Marshall Junior High School, finished at the top of our high school class, and went on to earn graduate degrees in various subjects. Ms. Hunter saw us achieving and she touched us to make certain that we would.

I was not surprised that she came to my graduation ceremony at Edison High School in Stockton or that she talked to me about finishing college and earning a Ph. D. She expected that of me. She gave me a beautifully wrapped box. Inside was a gift, the beauty of which multiplies even as it touches me: a necklace to which I can add charms for each stage of my life.

1.According to the writer, what is a special ability many good teachers possess?

A. The ability to make all students behave well.

B. The ability to treat different students in the same way.

C. The ability to discover a student’s potential to succeed.

D. The ability to predict the near future of a poor student.

2.According to the passage, how did Ms. Hunter motivate the writer?

A. By correcting the way she sat.

B. By having high expectations of her.

C. By sending her a valuable necklace.

D. By communicating with her parents often.

3.What does the writer mean by “a necklace to which I can add charms for each stage of my life” (paragraph 6)?

A. A gift which encourages me to do well on the journey of my life.

B. A gift which becomes more and more valuable as time goes by.

C. A necklace which I wear on all important occasions in my life.

D. A necklace which suits me and adds to my charm.

4.Which of the following serves as the best title for the story?

A. Ms. Hunter’s Surprise B. Ms. Hunter’s Challenge

C. A Teacher’s Touch 　　 D. A Teacher’s Memory

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析