You may have heard that a young man named Abner Doubleday invented the game known as baseball in Cooperstown, New York, during the summer of 1839. Doubleday then went on to become a Civil War hero, while baseball became America's beloved national pastime. Not only is that story untrue, it's not even in the ballpark( place for baseball).Doubleday was still at West Point in 1839, and he never claimed to have anything to do with baseball.
In 1907, a special commission(委员会) created by the sporting goods merchant and former major league player A. J. Spalding used weak evidence-namely the claims of one man, mining engineer Abner Graves-to come up with the Doubleday origin story. Cooperstown businessmen and major league officials would rely on the myth's lasting power in the 1930s, when they established the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in the village.
As it turns out, the real history of baseball is a little more complicated than the Doubleday legend. References to games resembling(相似) baseball in the United States date hack to the 18th century .its most direct ancestors appear to be two English games: rounder a( a children's game brought to New England by the earliest colonists) and cricket. By the time of the American Revolution, variations(演变) of such games were being played on schoolyards and college campuses across the country. They became even more popular in newly industrialized cities where men sought work in the mid-19th century-.In September 1845, a group of New York City men founded the New York Knickerbocker Baseball Club .One of them would make a new set of rules that would form the basis for modern baseball.
Cartwright's changes made the game faster-paced and more challenging from older games like cricket. In 1846, the Knickerbockers : played the first official game of baseball against a team of cricket players, beginning a new, uniquely American tradition.
1.What can we know according to the first paragraph?
A. Baseball was really invented by Abner Doubleday.
B, Abner Doubleday fought against slaves in the Civil War.
C. Doubleday stayed at West Point for some reason.
D. Doubleday said he had much to do with baseball.
2.Why did the Doubleday origin story come up?
A. Because a special commission was founded.
B. Because Doubleday provided false evidence.
C. Because Abner Craves told a Doubleday story.
D. Because Abner Craves worked with Doubleday.
3.The real history of baseball is _____
A. much simpler than the Doubleday legend
B. that baseball comes from two English games
C. that a children’s game came from New England
D. more interesting than rounder and cricket
4.It can be inferred from the passage that____
A. Doubleday is the most respected in the USA
B. Doubleday must have been an army officer
C. Doubleday in fact came from Britain
D. Doubleday invented rounder and cricket
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
You may have heard that a young man named Abner Doubleday invented the game known as baseball in Cooperstown, New York, during the summer of 1839. Doubleday then went on to become a Civil War hero, while baseball became America's beloved national pastime. Not only is that story untrue, it's not even in the ballpark( place for baseball).Doubleday was still at West Point in 1839, and he never claimed to have anything to do with baseball.
In 1907, a special commission(委员会) created by the sporting goods merchant and former major league player A. J. Spalding used weak evidence-namely the claims of one man, mining engineer Abner Graves-to come up with the Doubleday origin story. Cooperstown businessmen and major league officials would rely on the myth's lasting power in the 1930s, when they established the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in the village.
As it turns out, the real history of baseball is a little more complicated than the Doubleday legend. References to games resembling(相似) baseball in the United States date hack to the 18th century .its most direct ancestors appear to be two English games: rounder a( a children's game brought to New England by the earliest colonists) and cricket. By the time of the American Revolution, variations(演变) of such games were being played on schoolyards and college campuses across the country. They became even more popular in newly industrialized cities where men sought work in the mid-19th century-.In September 1845, a group of New York City men founded the New York Knickerbocker Baseball Club .One of them would make a new set of rules that would form the basis for modern baseball.
Cartwright's changes made the game faster-paced and more challenging from older games like cricket. In 1846, the Knickerbockers : played the first official game of baseball against a team of cricket players, beginning a new, uniquely American tradition.
1.What can we know according to the first paragraph?
A. Baseball was really invented by Abner Doubleday.
B, Abner Doubleday fought against slaves in the Civil War.
C. Doubleday stayed at West Point for some reason.
D. Doubleday said he had much to do with baseball.
2.Why did the Doubleday origin story come up?
A. Because a special commission was founded.
B. Because Doubleday provided false evidence.
C. Because Abner Craves told a Doubleday story.
D. Because Abner Craves worked with Doubleday.
3.The real history of baseball is _____
A. much simpler than the Doubleday legend
B. that baseball comes from two English games
C. that a children’s game came from New England
D. more interesting than rounder and cricket
4.It can be inferred from the passage that____
A. Doubleday is the most respected in the USA
B. Doubleday must have been an army officer
C. Doubleday in fact came from Britain
D. Doubleday invented rounder and cricket
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Tensions have erupted over some barren rocks in the Pacific that you may never have heard of, but stay tuned—this is a boundary dispute(争端) that could get ugly and some day have far-reaching consequences for China, Japan, Taiwan and the United States.
The islands in dispute are called the Senkaku chain by Japan, the Diaoyu islands by China, and the Diaoyutai by Taiwan. All three claim the islands, which are really just five small islands and three barren rocks northeast of Taiwan, 200 miles off the Chinese coast.
The latest conflict occurred when a Chinese fishing boat collided(碰撞) with two Japanese naval ships trying to stop it near the islands. The Japanese prevented the Chinese captain from leaving the place for questioning and the two countries have been exchanging angry protests.
The reason to worry is that nationalists in both China and Taiwan see the islands as unquestionably theirs and think that their government has been weak in claiming this authority.
So far, wiser heads have generally won the argument on each side, but at some point a weakened Chinese leader might try to gain the legal right with the public by pushing the issue and recovering the islands. It would be a dangerous game and would have a disastrous impact on China-Japan relations, but if successful it would raise the popularity of the Chinese government.
In reality, of course, there is zero chance that the U.S. will honor its treaty(条约) with Japan over a few barren rocks. We're not going to risk a nuclear conflict with China over some islands that may well be China's. But if we don't help, our security relationship with Japan will be at the breaking point.
So which country has a better claim to the islands? My feeling is that it's China, although the answer isn't clear-cut. Chinese navigational records show the islands as Chinese for many centuries, and a 1783 Japanese map shows them as Chinese as well. Japan purported to “discover” the islands only in 1884 and took control of them by force only in 1895 when it also grabbed Taiwan.
The best approach would be for China and Japan to agree to refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice, but realistically that won't happen. And since some believe that the area is rich with oil and gas reserves, the claims from each side have become more insistent.
As Chinese nationalism grows, as China's navy and ability to project power in the ocean gains, we could see some military conflicts over the islands.
Taken from NewYork Times
1.The underlined word “purported” (in Para.7) is closest in meaning to “_____”.
A. happened B. claimed C. pretended D. intended
2.The latest conflict referred to in the passage occurred because _____.
A. the Japanese government has bought the Diaoyu Islands from the Liyuans
B. two Japanese naval ships sailed in the Chinese sea around the Diaoyu Islands
C. the Japanese kept the captain of a fishing boat from returning for questioning
D. a fishing boat collided with two Japanese naval ships by design in the Japanese sea
3.Which of the following is the author's personal idea?
A. It is the two Japanese naval ships that are to blame for the conflict.
B. It is the Chinese captain of a fishing boat that is to blame for the conflict.
C. It is the U.S. that will honor its treaty with Japan over a few barren rocks.
D. It is China that has a better claim to the islands because of its navigational records.
4.What can be inferred according to the passage?
A. The claim from both sides has become more insistent.
B. Japan has navy and ability to power the Diaoyu Islands.
C. China is developing so quickly that it will declare a war on Japan.
D. The dispute between China and Japan has put the U.S. in a dilemma.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Have you ever heard someone say that he can't see the forest for the trees? If so, you may have ____ what this curious phrase means. If you can see the trees, how is the forest not ____, too?
This popular phrase accurately describes situations in which people sometimes get so caught up with the ____ that they lose sight of the big picture. ____, you're paying so much attention to the trees that you forget that the trees are just part of a ____ forest.
This is a problem we all ____ from time to time. When observing our world, it’s easy to focus on the interesting details and ____ larger concepts. For ____, though, it's important to be able to focus on both the forest and the trees.
Since the ____ of scientific inquiry thousands of years ago, observations have been ____. The first scientists used their ____ to see, hear, smell, feel, and taste the world around them. Through these ____, they learned about their world and began to search for answers to the questions that ____ arose.
Today scientists ____ rely upon their five senses to make observations. However, they also take advantages of modern ____ to make observations with a wide variety of tools. These enable them to “see” the world in ways beyond what their five senses ____.
From satellite telescopes atomic microscopes, ____ scientists use these tools to observe the world in ways never ____ by early scientists. Some of these tools allow them to ____ small details while others help them to see the big ____.
1.A.wondered B.believed C.explained D.described
2.A.acceptable B.accessible C.visible D.possible
3.A.reasons B.problems C.effects D.details
4.A.In contrast B.In return C.In other words D.In the meantime
5.A.better B.larger C.clearer D.greener
6.A.seek out B.pass by C.agree on D.meet with
7.A.catch B.ignore C.comprehend D.misuse
8.A.observers B.farmers C.scientists D.leaders
9.A.beginning B.separation C.recovery D.removal
10.A.forgotten B.welcomed C.impossible D.important
11.A.senses B.feelings C.environments D.experiences
12.A.errors B.gifts C.observations D.inventions
13.A.luckily B.naturally C.exactly D.occasionally
14.A.even B.yet C.never D.still
15.A.technologies B.theories C.discoveries D.efforts
16.A.release B.allow C.prefer D.enjoy
17.A.famous B.young C.popular D.modern
18.A.imagined B.suggested C.remembered D.convinced
19.A.create B.study C.copy D.choose
20.A.cause B.change C.picture D.achievement
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Drinks Have No Wings
You may have heard that “Red Bull gives you wings”. But while most people take the advertising slogan as a metaphor(隐喻), some Americans seem to have taken it very seriously.
Benjamin Careathers had been drinking the drink for 10 years, expecting to at least feel more energetic, but nothing happened. Feeling fooled by the ad, he took the issue to court.
In October, the Austria-based company agreed to pay $ 6.5 million (39.7 million yuan) to customers who have bought the drink since 2002. People in the US can apply for a share through energydrinksettlement.com before March 2015.
But is the case really that ridiculous?
Red Bull said they had done nothing wrong and they only paid the money to save the cost and trouble of legal action.
However, the suit(诉讼) told a different story. Even though there is no evidence that Red Bull energy drinks provide more benefit for consumers than a cup of coffee, the company markets their products as a superior source of energy that costs little.
“Such conduct means that Red Bull’s advertising and marketing is not just ‘puffery’ (吹捧) but is misleading and therefore actionable (可诉讼的) ,” the suit said.
The company said that the drink could promote healthy joints and reduce the risk of eye diseases. However, according to the organization, the product contains a lot of sugar, which could actually lead to many health problems.
Coca-Cola agreed to pay $ 1.2 million in compensation in July. But to fully stop the company from linking the drink to health benefit, Truth in Advertising, another non-profit organization, took the issue to court again in late October.
False advertisements have become a common problem around the world. China changed its consumer rights last year to ban advertising companies and media from making or publishing false advertisements. Celebrities are also made responsible if they endorse (代言) false or substandard products.
1.Faced with the suit, the Red Bull company decided to _______________.
A. apologize to its customers and pay for their losses in health
B. take full responsibility for the bad effects it has caused to its customers
C. give no one but its American customers some money as a reward
D. spend some money to save the cost and trouble of legal action
2.What benefits can people get, according to the Red Bull company?
A. One can really fly like birds, for it offers you wings.
B. Drink it, and one can be forever energetic and young.
C. As it contains a lot of sugar, it can make one more powerful.
D. Healthy joints can be promoted if one takes this drink.
3.It is implied in the passaged that __________________.
A. in China more companies will be taken to court for failing to live up to their promises
B. both Red Bull and Coca-Cola are now winning the consumers’ trust and respect
C. Benjamin Careathers has benefited a great deal since he drank Red Bull
D. no puffery words have ever appeared in both Red Bull and Coca-Cola’s advertisements
4.Many countries’ attitude towards those false advertisements is likely to be ____________.
A. Tolerant. B. Favorable. C. Unbearable. D. Indifferent.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
You may have heard of the American Dream, an ideal that has powered the hopes of Americans for generations.
It began as a belief that the US was a land of opportunity, and that anyone could achieve success through hard work. At times, the dream has referred to home ownership, a good job, retirement security or each generation doing better than the last.
Yet today, this concept seems to have greatly changed. As Time magazine pointed out, quite different from the older generation, many Millennials (the generation born after 1980) redefine(重新定义) the American Dream as “day-to-day control of your life”. They “prize job mobility, flexible schedules, any work that is more interesting than typing, and the ability to travel”, said the magazine.
Home ownership, once the cornerstone of the American Dream, is becoming a smaller priority for this generation. Meanwhile, nearly 40% of them choose travel as part of their dream. And entrepreneurship(创业) is a rising favorite, as nearly 26% of Millennials consider self-employment as part of their dream.
So what has led to this huge change?
Many point fingers at the poor economy. “Modern young Americans seem bound to face a world stamped by ever narrowing opportunity and social stagnation(停滞),”noted The Daily Beast.
“The rate of 16-to 24-year-olds out of school and out of work is unusually high at 15%. Many college graduates have taken jobs that don’t require a degree,” Time reported.
The magazine worries that these difficulties may lead to a lost generation who are “unable to ever truly find their feet on the corporation’s ladder”.
Dan Kadlec, a reporter of Time, sees Millennials as resetting their expectations.”This situation is different for young adults today,” he wrote. “A true American dream has to feel attainable, and many Millennias are feeling they can only attain a day-today lifestyle that suits them.”
1.The underlined word “cornerstone” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “ ”.
A. growth B. balance C. basis D. purpose
2. What has changed Millennials’ view of the American Dream according to the passage?
A. A lack of confidence in themselves
B. Fierce competition in the job market
C. Their dissatisfaction with the government
D. The discouraging economy and unemployment
3.Dan Kadlec thinks Millennials’ new definition of the American Dream is ______.
A. beautiful B. understandable
C. worrying D. positive
4.What can be the best title for this passage?
A. Redefinition of American Dream
B. Meaning of American Dream
C. Value of Achieving American Dream
D. History of Changing American Dream
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
You may have heard of the American Dream, an ideal that has powered the hopes of Americans for generations.
It began as a belief that the US was a land of opportunity, and that anyone could achieve success through hard work. At times, the dream has referred to home ownership, a good job, retirement security or each generation doing better than the last.
Yet today, this concept seems to have greatly changed. As Time magazine pointed out, quite different from the older generation, many Millennials (the generation born after 1980) redefine(重新定义) the American Dream as “day-to-day control of your life”. They “prize job mobility, flexible schedules, any work that is more interesting than typing, and the ability to travel”, said the magazine.
Home ownership, once the cornerstone of the American Dream, is becoming a smaller priority for this generation. Meanwhile, nearly 40% of them choose travel as part of their dream. And entrepreneurship(创业) is a rising favorite, as nearly 26% of Millennials consider self-employment as part of their dream.
So what has led to this huge change?
Many point fingers at the poor economy. “Modern young Americans seem bound to face a world stamped by ever narrowing opportunity and social stagnation(停滞),”noted The Daily Beast.
“The rate of 16-to 24-year-olds out of school and out of work is unusually high at 15%. Many college graduates have taken jobs that don’t require a degree,” Time reported.
The magazine worries that these difficulties may lead to a lost generation who are “unable to ever truly find their feet on the corporation’s ladder”.
Dan Kadlec, a reporter of Time, sees Millennials as resetting their expectations.”This situation is different for young adults today,” he wrote. “A true American dream has to feel attainable, and many Millennias are feeling they can only attain a day-today lifestyle that suits them.”
1.The underlined word “cornerstone” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “ ”.
A. growth B. balance C. basis D. purpose
2.What has changed Millennials’ view of the American Dream according to the passage?
A. A lack of confidence in themselves
B. Fierce competition in the job market
C. Their dissatisfaction with the government
D. The discouraging economy and unemployment
3.Dan Kadlec thinks Millennials’ new definition of the American Dream is ______.
A. beautiful B. understandable
C. worrying D. positive
4.What can be the best title for this passage?
A. Redefinition of American Dream
B. Meaning of American Dream
C. Value of Achieving American Dream
D. History of Changing American Dream
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
You may have heard the term “the American Dream”.In 1848, James W.Marshall found gold
in California and people began having golden dreams.That 19th century “American Dream" motivated(激发) the Gold Rush and gave California its nickname of the "Golden State".
The American Dream drove not only 1800s gold-rush prospectors(采矿者)but also waves of
immigrants throughout that century and the next.People from Europe, and a large number of
Chinese, arrived in the US in the 19th century hoping that in America they would find gold in the
streets.But most.instead, worked as railroad laborers.They created the oldest Chinatown, in San
Francisco, and gave the city a Chinese name "the old gold hill".
In the 20th century, some critics said that it was no longer possible to become prosperous through determination and hard work. Unfair education for students from poor families and racial discrimination almost made the American Dream a nightmare(噩梦).
Then, in the 1990s, California saw a new wave of dreamers in Silicon Valley.People poured
their energy into the Internet. This new chapter of the American Dream attracted many business people and young talents from China and India to form start-ups and seek fortune in America.
Better pay, a nice house, and a rising standard of living will always be attractive.However, the
new American Dream .is no longer just about money.It encourages Americans to consume wisely to protect the environment, improve the quality of life, and promote social justice(正义,公正).
The Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger has become the model of the new
American Dream.After years of hard work, he grew from a poor young man from Austria into a
super movie star and then a governor. Many people hope his story can save the American Dream
and give California a brighter future.
1.It can be inferred that_____________.
A.America' s golden dream could never be realized
B.America's golden dream had bought great fortune to Chinese immigrants
C.different times have different themes of the American dream
D.determination and hard work are the best way to realize the American dream
2.Why did most of the early immigrants work as railroad laborers?
A.Because they could earn more money as railroad laborers?
B.Because they had to make a living by working as railroad laborers.
C.Because they thought railroad was the first step to find gold.
D.Because railroad laborers were greatly honored at that time.
3.The underlined sentence “his story can save the American Dream” (in the last paragraph) indicates that_____________.
A.the dream of seeking fortunate in America is easy to realize
B.most of the immigrants to America don’t reach their previous goals
C.the success of Arnold Schwarzenegger is among the common examples of the immigrants
D.the immigrants have made great contributions to California
4.What’s the best title of the passage?
A.Wave of Immigrants to America
B.Make Fortunes Abroad
C.Hard Work Leads to Success
D.Changes of America’s Golden Dream
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
You may have heard of Osceola McCarty, an 88-year-old woman in Mississippi who had worked for over 75 years as a woman.
One day after she retired, she went to the bank and discovered that her small monthly had grown to over$150,000. Then to everyone’s surprise, she turned around and almost all of the money to the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) for a fund for students with financial needs. Immediately, she made national .
What you have not heard is how Osceola’s gift had my life. I am 19 years old and the first of an Osceola McCarty Scholarship.
I was a student, and I was determined to go to USM. But I being qualified for a regular scholarship by one point on the entrance exams, and a scholarship was the way I could attend.
One Sunday, I came across the story in the paper about Osceola McCarty and her generous . The next day I went to the financial aid office, and they told me there was still no money for me, but if anything came up they’d call.
A few days later, I was going out with my mother the phone rang. I was told I had been chosen to be given the first Osceola McCarty Scholarship. I was !
McCarty worked hard her whole life, washing clothes by hand. Now that she is , she sits most of the day and reads the Bible, that is, when she is not getting rewards. Every time I go to visit her, she has a new . She’s even gone to the White House. She is so happy and proud. We have tried to talk her into getting a VCR (录像机) so she can tape the programs and see on TV—she just smiles.
McCarty gave me much more than a scholarship. She taught me about the gift of . Now I know there are good people in the world who do good things. She worked hard and helped others, and in turn she has inspired me to when I can some day. So I plan to add to her scholarship fund.
1.A. café B. buffet C. laboratory D. laundry
2.A. expenses B. profits C. savings D. wages
3.A. returned B. donated C. delivered D. removed
4.A. welfare B. project C. scholarship D. research
5.A. headlines B. customs C. sympathies D. doubts
6.A. affected B. formed C. disturbed D. ruined
7.A. designer B. receiver C. contributor D. reporter
8.A. considerate B. dedicated C. casual D. sensitive
9.A. advocated B. regretted C. missed D. avoided
10.A. normal B. wrong C. legal D. only
11.A. gift B. idea C. decision D. plan
12.A. left B. raised C. available D. enough
13.A. since B. before C. though D. when
14.A. shocked B. excited C. puzzled D. encouraged
15.A. retired B. dismissed C. promoted D. transferred
16.A. job B. hobby C. life D. award
17.A. everybody B. everything C. herself D. us
18.A. giving B. understanding C. receiving D. loving
19.A. give up B. give back C. give off D. give in
20.A. suddenly B. originally C. gradually D. eventually
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
If you live in the country or have ever visited there, ______ are that you have heard birds singing to welcome the new day.
A. situations B. facts
C. possibilities D. Chances
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
If you live in the country or have ever visited there, ______ are that you have heard birds singing to welcome the new day.
A. situations B. facts C. chances D. possibilities
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析