England continues to be one of the most popul...

England continues to be one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. London in particular is one of the most visited cities and draws people in with its appeal, history, and pubs. England’s smaller cities, like Bath and Oxford, are equally as attractive with a lot of culture and fewer crowds. Liverpool, birthplace of The Beatles, has a rich musical history. The countryside has wonderful natural beauty. Here are some tips on traveling in England.

Free museums—Public museums offer free admission in every city throughout England and the UK. It’s a great way to learn about the country’s most influential artists and history, and spend a rainy day without paying a cent.

Book early—Book all transportation well in advance, even if you don’t plan to use it. Fares can be around ￡2 with a little planning. The Megabus not only runs buses but also provides trains throughout England and is the best choice for cheap travel throughout the country.

Pub food—Eating in England can be quite expensive, but for good cheap and filling meals, visit the local pubs, where you can get a good meal for less than ￡10. Besides, the pubs are a great way to meet people!

Get a Taste of UK card—The Taste of the UK card offers up to 50% off at selected restaurants. You don’t need to be an English to get the card, and you needn’t pay the first month’s membership fee, which is perfect for most travelers.

Take a free walking tour—Many major cities in England offer free walking tours. They usually last a few hours and are a great way to see the city.

1.Compared with London, Oxford is 　　　　 .

A. more appealing　　 B. less crowded

C. larger in size　　 D. richer in history

2.Why is eating in local pubs suggested?

A. The price of food is low there.

B. The chance of meeting stars is high there.

C. The service is excellent there.

D. The dining atmosphere is perfect there.

3.What can be known from the text?

A. All museums in the UK are free of charge.

B. The best way to travel around England is by bus.

C. Free walking tours are available in only some cities in England.

D. Holders of the Taste of UK card can enjoy discounts at all restaurants.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Antarctica has become one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. Since 1969, the average number of visitors to the continent has increased from several hundred to over 34,000 today. All activities in Antarctica are heavily supervised by the Antarctic treaty for environmental protection purposes and the industry is largely managed by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO).

The first expedition (探险) to Antarctica with travelers was in 1966, led by Swedish explorer Lars Eric Lindblad. He wanted to give tourists first-hand experience of the ecological sensitivity of the Antarctic environment, in order to educate them and promote a greater understanding of the continent’s role in the world. In 1969, Lindblad built the world’s first expedition ship, the MS Lindblad Explorer, which was specifically designed to transport tourists to Antarctica.

In 1977, both Australia and New Zealand started to offer scenic flights to Antarctica through Qantas and Air New Zealand. The flights often flew to the continent without landing and returned to the departure airport. The experience was an average 12 to 14 hours with up to 4 hours of flying directly over the continent. The flights from Australia and New Zealand stopped in 1980. It was largely due to the Air New Zealand Flight 901 accident on November 28, 1979. In 1994, flights to Antarctica continued again.

Despite the potential dangers and risks, trips to Antarctica continued to grow. According to IAATO, 34,354 travelers visited the continent between 2012 and 2013. Americans contributed to the largest share with 10,677 visitors, or 31.1%, followed by Germans 11.1%, Australians 10.7%, and the British 10.2%. The rest of the visitors were from China, Canada, Switzerland, France and elsewhere.

The cost of a trip to Antarctica can range from as little as $3,000-$4,000 to over $40,000, depending on the scope of transportation, housing, and activity needs. The higher end packages typically involve air transport, on-site camping, and a visit to the South Pole.

1.Which can best replace the underlined word “supervised” in Paragraph 1?

A.Protected. B.Monitored.

C.Supported. D.Forbidden.

2.What’s Lars Eric Lindblad’s original purpose in getting to Antarctica?

A.To make himself the first explorer to go to Antarctica.

B.To transport more and more tourists to Antarctica.

C.To get first-hand experience of precious resources.

D.To let people know the significance of the continent.

3.What do we know about the flights to Antarctica?

A.They were once cancelled for more than ten years due to dangers.

B.Natural conditions of Antarctica are unable to support their landing.

C.It takes 14 hours to fly from New Zealand to Antarctica directly.

D.Air New Zealand has much success in developing Antarctic tourism.

4.What can be learned from the passage?

A.It is very convenient for Americans to travel to Antarctica.

B.The travelers usually have 4 hours’ sightseeing on the continent.

C.The number of people travelling to Antarctica is increasing.

D.New Zealand is the first country to offer scenic flights to Antarctica.

5.What’s the best title for the text?

A.The development of Antarctica B.Antarctica, a dream tourist attraction

C.The history of tourism in Antarctica D.IAATO, a great organization

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Watching wooden dolls come to life may not be one of the most popular forms of entertainment today, but with over twenty years’ experience, talented puppeteer (木偶表演者) Peter Roberts has earned himself the title “master puppeteer” because of his great ability to turn puppets into believable, almost living characters. “People are quite often surprised to hear what I do for living and have little appreciation of puppy as a form of entertainment. But while the exact origins of puppet theatre are unknown, it has been popular in many cultures and may have been the very first kind of theatre,” he explains.

Roberts’ shows are highly original. “A puppet show can involve anything from clowning(傻逗) to storytelling,” he says, Equally diverse are the audiences he performs for. “Some are attracted by the puppets themselves, while others enjoy the dialogue.” Roberts believes that this form of entertainment can be appreciated by people of all ages and cultures.

Roberts’ interest in puppets started when he received some beautiful glove puppets one Christmas. He started putting on shows with these for family and friends and then moved on to handmade Chinese string puppets. Learning mostly from books and personal experience, he explains, “I was already spending most of my free time carving puppets and putting on shows, so I hardly noticed the change from students to full-time professional puppeteer.”

The puppets are designed specifically for each show, which is extremely time consuming. According to Roberts, “Sometimes what you expect and what you actually create in the end are two very different things. I’ve made some of my best puppets ‘accidentally’.”

When most people hear the word “puppetry”, they more than likely think of a way of keeping children entertained at birthday parties. Certainly the subject matter will be expected to be light-hearted rather than serious. However, Roberts wants to point out that puppets come serious messages sometimes.” he says.

1.What do we know about puppetry in the first paragraph?

A. It is a most popular form of entertainment.

B. It cannot give people pleasure any more.

C. It was first brought to life by Peter Roberts.

D. Its value as an art form is not fully recognized.

2.In Roberts’ eyes, his puppet shows　　　　　　　 .

A. usually attract people full of humor

B. are most something for old aged audience

C. display something meaningful for different people

D. involve hard work and great intelligence

3.Roberts developed an interest in puppets because of 　　　　 .

A. the puppet show books

B. his university major

C. a Christmas gift

D. some Chinese string puppets

4.What does Roberts want people to think of puppet theatre?

A. It is just a kind of entertainment for kids.

B. It can be educational as well as entertaining.

C. It is only a kind of serious art form.

D. It should be kept light-hearted.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Watching wooden dolls come to life may not be one of the most popular forms of entertainment today, but with over twenty years’ experience, talented puppeteer (木偶表演者) Peter Roberts has earned himself the title “master puppeteer” because of his great ability to turn puppets into believable, almost living characters. “People are quite often surprised to hear what I do for a living and have little appreciation of puppy as a form of entertainment. But while the exact origins of puppet theatre are unknown, it has been popular in many cultures and may have been the very first kind of theatre,” he explains.

Roberts’ shows are highly original. “A puppet show can involve anything from clowning(傻逗) to storytelling,” he says.　 Equally diverse are the audiences he performs for. “Some are attracted by the puppets themselves, while others enjoy the dialogue.” Roberts believes that this form of entertainment can be appreciated by people of all ages and cultures.

Roberts’ interest in puppets started when he received some beautiful glove puppets one Christmas. He started putting on shows with these for family and friends and then moved on to handmade Chinese string puppets. Learning mostly from books and personal experience, he explains, “I was already spending most of my free time carving puppets and putting on shows, so I hardly noticed the change from students to full-time professional puppeteer.”

The puppets are designed specifically for each show, which is extremely time consuming. According to Roberts, “Sometimes what you expect and what you actually create in the end are two very different things. I’ve made some of my best puppets ‘accidentally’.”

When most people hear the word “puppetry”, they more than likely think of a way of keeping children entertained at birthday parties. Certainly the subject matter will be expected to be light-hearted rather than serious. However, Roberts wants to point out that puppets convey serious messages sometimes.” he says.

1.What do we know about puppetry in the first paragraph?

A. It is a most popular form of entertainment.

B. It cannot give people pleasure any more.

C. It was first brought to life by Peter Roberts.

D. Its value as an art form is not fully recognized.

2.In Roberts’ eyes, his puppet shows　　　　　　　 .

A. usually attract people full of humor

B. are most something for old aged audience

C. display something meaningful for different people

D. involve hard work and great intelligence

3.Roberts developed an interest in puppets because of 　　　　 .

A. the puppet show books　　 B. his university major

C. a Christmas gift　　 D. some Chinese string puppets

4.What does Roberts want people to think of puppet theatre?

A. It is just a kind of entertainment for kids.

B. It can be educational as well as entertaining.

C. It is only a kind of serious art form.

D. It should be kept light-hearted.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The triathlon(铁人三项运动) promises to be one of the most popular Olympic sports.Recently it has drawn huge crowds attracted by athletes swimming 1,500m，cycling 40km，then running 10km without stopping.But what makes an attractive 17­year­old girl give up everything for the doubtful pleasure it offers?

Melanie Sears has not yet learnt those often­repeated phrases about personal satisfaction，mental challenge and higher targets that most athletes use when asked similar questions.“You swim for 1,500m，then run out of the water and jump on your bike，still wet.Of course，then you freeze.When the 40km cycle ride is over，you have to run 10km，which is a long way when you’re feeling exhausted.But it’s great fun，and all worth it in the end，” she says.

Melanie entered her first triathlon at 14 and she won the junior section.Full of confidence，she entered the National Championships，and although she had the second fastest swim and the fastest run，she came nowhere.“I was following this man and suddenly we came to the sea.We realised then that we had gone wrong.I ended up cycling 20 kilometres too far.I cried all the way through the running.”

But she did not give up and was determined that she never will.“Sometimes I wish I could stop，because then the pain would be over，but I am afraid that if I let myself stop just once，I would be tempted(诱惑) to do it again.”Such doggedness draws admiration from Steve Trew，the sport’s director of coaching.“I’ve just been testing her fitness，” he says, “and she worked so hard on the running machine that it finally threw her off and into a wall.She had given it everything，and she just kept on.”

Melanie was top junior in this year’s European Triathlon Championships，finishing 13th.“I was almost as good as the top three in swimming and running，but much slower in cycling.That’s why I’m working very hard at it.” She is trying to talk her long­suffering parents，who will carry the ￡1,300 cost of her trip to New Zealand for this year’s world championships，into buying a ￡2,000 bike，so she can try 25km and 100km races later this year.

But there is another price to pay.“I don’t have a social life，”she says.“After two hours’ hard swimming on Friday night，I just want to go to sleep.But I phone and write to the other girls in the team.” What does she talk about？Boys？Clothes？“No，what sort of times they are achieving.”

1.How does Melanie differ from other athletes，according to the writer?

A．She worries less than they do.

B．She expresses herself differently.

C．Her family background is not like theirs.

D．Her aims are different from theirs.

2.What upset Melanie during the National Championships?

A．She was tricked by another competitor.

B．She felt she had let her team­mates down.

C．She made a mistake during part of the race.

D．She realized she couldn’t cycle as fast as she thought.

3.What is Melanie trying to persuade her parents to do?

A．Buy an expensive bike for her.

B．Give her half the cost of a bike.

C．Let her compete in longer races.

D．Pay for her to go to New Zealand.

4.What does Melanie say about her relationships with her team­mates?

A．She would like to see them more often.

B．She only discusses the triathlon with them.

C．She thinks they find her way of life strange.

D．She dislikes discussing boys or clothes with them.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Football is, I believe, the most popular game in England: one has only to go to the important matches to see this. Rich and poor, young and old, one can see them all there, shouting for one side or the other.

To a stranger, one of the most surprising things about football in England is the great knowledge of the game which even the smallest boy seems to have. He can tell you the names of the players in most of the important teams. He will tell you who he expects will win such a match, and his opinion is usually as good as that of men three or four times his age.

Most schools in England take football seriously-much more seriously than nearly all European schools, where lessons are all very important and games are left for the children themselves. In England it is believed that education is not only a matter filling a boy’s mind with facts in the classroom: education also means the training of character; and one of the best ways of training character is by means of games, especially team games; where a boy or girl has to learn to work with others for his or her team, instead of working for oneself alone. The school therefore plans games and matches for its students. Football is a good team game. It is good both for the body and the mind. That’s why it is every school’s game in England.

67. In passage 1, by “this” the author means ________.

A. people often go to football games.

B. people, rich and poor, young and old, play football

C. football is the most popular game in England

D. people usually shout at each other in a football match

68. In England school boys seem _________ about football games.

A. not to know much         B. to know a great deal

C. know little               D. know nothing

69. In England, a boy’s opinion of a match is often ________.

A. three or four times better than that of adults

B. worse than that of adults

C. as good as that of adults

D. worth considering three or four times than adults

70. In almost all European schools, lessons are_______.

A. left for the children themselves

B. what the children like best

C. as important as football games

D. considered the most important

71. In England, education means_______.

A. filling a boy’s mind with stories

B. more than the teaching of knowledge

C. the teaching of knowledge only

D. training character by means of football games

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Football is, I believe, the most popular game in England: one has only to go to the important matches to see this. Rich and poor, young and old, one can see them all there, shouting for one side or the other.

To a stranger, one of the most surprising things about football in England is the great knowledge of the game which even the smallest boy seems to have. He can tell you the names of the players in most of the important teams. He will tell you who he expects will win such a match, and his opinion is usually as good as that of men three or four times his age.

Most schools in England take football seriously-much more seriously than nearly all European schools, where lessons are all very important and games are left for the children themselves. In England it is believed that education is not only a matter filling a boy’s mind with facts in the classroom: education also means the training of character; and one of the best ways of training character is by means of games, especially team games; where a boy or girl has to learn to work with others for his or her team, instead of working for oneself alone. The school therefore plans games and matches for its students. Football is a good team game. It is good both for the body and the mind. That’s why it is every school’s game in England.

1.In passage 1, by “this” the author means ________.

2. In England, a boy’s opinion of a match is often ________.

3.In England, education means_______.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

“Sorry seems to be the hardest word”—that is one of Elton Johns most popular songs. But not every public figure seems to find it so tough to say that powerful five-letter word.

In recent days public figures, from politicians to stars, have all publicly expressed remorse. But with so much remorse, how can we tell a forced apology from a heartfelt expression of remorse?

Specifically, saying sorry should be a realization that something you have said or done has hurt someone and you want to make amends. “People wants the response to be personal to them. They want to feel that they’re being listened to and taken seriously,” says Martin Stone.

Firstly, it is important to show that you understand. It is vital that any group or a person making an apology understands the focus—is it sorry for the way it’s acted or is it sorry that the complainant feels the way they do? Watch out for the speed of response. The quicker the apology comes, the better it indicates that the person making it has felt an immediate sense of guilt.

If sincere, the person making the apology will be looking for clues (线索) to see if he or she is being understood, such as eye contact and facial expressions. Performed apologies always have a sense of being “acted out”, and are often accompanied by too many unnatural gestures.

For a sincere apology, it is also important to avoid promises that can’t be kept. Don’t say that you’ll make sure that this will not happen again if you re not confident that it wont. It could come back to bite you. And do remember that the use of “but” can hugely change the tone (语气) of an apology. As Stone points out, “I’m sorry but...” sounds like you are making excuses and aren’t actually taking any form of responsibility.

1.What does the underlined word “remorse” probably mean?

A. Feelings. B. Appereciation. C. Regret. D. Sympathy.

2.Which of the following indicates it’s a performed apology?

A. Swearing it will not happen again. B. Avoiding eye contact with the listener.

C. Showing you understand his /her feelings. D. Paying attention to the listener’s reaction.

3.What is stressed in the last paragraph?

A. The attitude. B. The tone of voice.

C. The body language. D. The choice of language.

4.What is the purpose of the text?

A. To explain what a good apology is.

B. To discuss how to give a formal apology.

C. To show why we should apologize in life.

D. To teach us how to tell if an apology is sincere.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

“Sorry seems to be the hardest word”— that is one of Elton John's most popular songs. But not every public figure seems to find it so tough to say that powerful five-letter word.

In recent days public figures, from politicians to stars, have all publicly expressed remorse. But with so much remorse, how can we tell a forced apology from a heartfelt expression of remorse?

Specifically, saying sorry should be a realization that something you have said or done has hurt someone and you want to make amends (弥补). "People want the response to be personal to them. They want to feel that they're being listened to and taken seriously," says Martin Stone.

Firstly, it is important to show that you understand. It is vital that any group or a person making an apology understands the focus — is it sorry for the way it's acted or is it sorry that the complainant feels the way they do? Watch out for the speed of response. The quicker the apology comes, the better it indicates that the person making it has felt an immediate sense of guilt.

If sincere, the person making the apology will be looking for clues (线索) to see if he or she is being understood, such as eye contact and facial expressions. Performed apologies always have a sense of being "acted out", and are often accompanied by too many unnatural gestures.

For a sincere apology, it is also important to avoid promises that can't be kept. Don't say that you'll make sure that this will not happen again if you're not confident that it won't. It could come back to bite you. And do remember that the use of "but" can hugely change the tone (语气) of an apology. As Stone points out, "I'm sorry but..." sounds like you are making excuses and aren't actually taking any form of responsibility.

1.What is the purpose of the text?

A. To explain what a good apology is.

B. To discuss how to give a formal apology.

C. To show why we should apologize in life.

D. To teach us how to tell if an apology is sincere

2.Which of the following indicates it's a "performed" apology?

A. Swearing it will not happen again.

B. Avoiding eye contact with the listener.

C. Showing you understand his/her feelings.

D. Paying attention to the listener's reaction.

3.What is stressed in the last paragraph?

A. The attitude.

B. The tone of voice.

C. The body language.

D. The choice of language.

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Although cats may be one of the most popular pets today, little is known about how and when humans and cats set up their close relationship.

The earliest evidence for human–cat interaction dates back to prehistoric Cyprus（史前塞浦路斯）, where the remains of a wild cat and a human — dated 9,500 years old — were found buried together.

A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has confirmed the first direct evidence of a human–domestic cat relationship among Chinese farmers 5,300 years ago. Researchers studied the bones of cats, dogs, deer and other animals unearthed in an excavation (挖掘) near a village in Central China. By using some ways, scientists showed that the cats were living on a mostly millet(黍)–based diet, just like the domesticated dogs and pigs from the site.

"The most reasonable explanation for a high consumption of millet–based food is that the cats had formed a stable and mutual relationship with humans and could easily feed on rodents (啮齿动物) around human villages, find leftover food or even have been fed by people intentionally," said Hu Yaowu from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, whose research focuses on the relationship between humans and domesticated animals.

"It is very interesting for us to find the consumption of millet-based foods by the cats, since this kind of evidence had long been missing.” Hu explains. Since cats usually eat meat, such a diet would be unexpected, unless the cats were being fed by people, the study argues. The researchers also found that one of the cats survived to reach old age, implying that it had a safe place to live and enough to eat.

Why the farmers wanted to keep cats nearby or make them "pets" could be answered by other evidence. Chinese archaeologists found some storage containers were specifically designed to keep out rodents — a vermin (害兽) that cats could certainly have helped with.

The simplified theory is that rats were attracted to the food of farmers, and so were harmful to farmers. Cats were attracted to the rats, and so farmers formed a mutually beneficial relationship with cats, taking care of them in return for pest control.

1.The evidence found in the remains dating back to prehistoric Cyprus means 　　　　　 .

A. human made cats pets as early as 9,500 years ago

B. human interacted with cats very early

C. cats didn’t appear until prehistoric Cyprus

D. when cats became domesticated

2.Apart from cats, Hu Yaowu and his teams may also study 　　　　　 .

A. the preventions of pests from grains

B. the history of Chinese farming

C. the dogs and pigs

D. the ways to keep pets

3.Which of the following is NOT the evidence of Chinese farms’ keeping cats?

A. Cats didn’t feed on meat.

B. The cats consumed large amounts of millet–based foods.

C. One of the cats survived to reach old age.

D. Some storage containers were specifically designed to keep out rodents.

4.What are the reasons for farmers to keep cats?

A. Helping keep other domesticated animals.

B. Not letting cats eat food.

C. Supplying meat for human.

D. Helping reduce the amount of pests.

5.In which part of a newspaper would be the passage most probably appear　 　　　　　 .

A. Entertainment　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　 B. Environment

C. Human and Science　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　 D. Life and fashion

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析