August was one of the nastiest months I can remember: torrential rain; a hailstorm or two; cold, bitter winds; and mists. But we are accustomed to such weather in England. Lord Byron used to say that an English summer begins on July 31 and ends on Aug. 1. He called 1816 "the year without a summer." He spent it gazing across Lake Geneva, watching the storms, with 18-year-old Mary Shelley. The lightening flickering across the lake inspired her Frankenstein, the tale of the man-made monster galvanized into life by electricity.
This summer's atrocious weather tempted me to tease a Green whom I know. "Well, what about your weather theory now?" (One of the characteristics of Greens is that they know no history.) He replied: "Yes, this weather is unprecedented. England has never had such an August before. It's global warming, of course." That's the Greens' stock response to anything weather-related. Too much sun? "Global warming." Too little sun? "Global warming." Drought? "Global warming." Floods? "Global warming." Freezing cold? "Global warming."
I wish the great philosopher Sir Karl Popper were alive to denounce the unscientific nature of global warming. He was a student when Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity was first published and then successfully tested. Einstein said that for his theory to be valid it would have to pass three tests. "If," Einstein wrote to British scientist Sir Arthur Eddington, "it were proved that this effect does not exist in nature, then the whole theory would have to be abandoned."
The idea that human beings have changed and are changing the basic climate system of the Earth through their industrial activities and burning of fossil fuels--the essence of the Greens' theory of global warming--has not much basis in science. Global warming, like Marxism, is a political theory of actions, demanding compliance with its rules.
Those who buy in to global warming wish to drastically curb human economic and industrial activities, regardless of the consequences for people, especially the poor. If the theory's conclusions are accepted and agreed upon, the destructive results will be felt most severely in those states that adhere to the rule of law and will observe restrictions most faithfully. The global warming activists' target is the U.S. If America is driven to accept crippling restraints on its economy it will rapidly become unable to shoulder its burdens as the world's sole superpower and ultimate defender of human freedoms. We shall all suffer, however, as progress falters and then ceases and living standards decline.
1. The writer of the passage is probably _______.
A.one of the “Greens”
B.an American
C.not quite a believer in Global Warming
D.an environmentalist
2.Which person(s), in the writer’s eyes, is the one he agrees with?
A.Karl Marx B.Sir Karl Popper C.The Greens D.Mary Shelley
3.Sir Arthur Eddington could be inferred as a ______.
A.politician B.poet C.Greenpeacer D.physicist
4.“denounce” in the third paragraph can be replaced by ______.
A.announce B.pronounce
C.speak out for D.speak out against
5. Which of the following is probably a good title for this article?
A.Why Einstein’s Theory Stands the Tests.
B.Which Country the “Greens” Are Attacking?
C.Global Warming? I See Little Point.
D.The Climate in England and beyond.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
August was one of the nastiest months I can remember: torrential rain; a hailstorm or two; cold, bitter winds; and mists. But we are accustomed to such weather in England. Lord Byron used to say that an English summer begins on July 31 and ends on Aug. 1. He called 1816 "the year without a summer." He spent it gazing across Lake Geneva, watching the storms, with 18-year-old Mary Shelley. The lightening flickering across the lake inspired her Frankenstein, the tale of the man-made monster galvanized into life by electricity.
This summer's atrocious weather tempted me to tease a Green whom I know. "Well, what about your weather theory now?" (One of the characteristics of Greens is that they know no history.) He replied: "Yes, this weather is unprecedented. England has never had such an August before. It's global warming, of course." That's the Greens' stock response to anything weather-related. Too much sun? "Global warming." Too little sun? "Global warming." Drought? "Global warming." Floods? "Global warming." Freezing cold? "Global warming."
I wish the great philosopher Sir Karl Popper were alive to denounce the unscientific nature of global warming. He was a student when Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity was first published and then successfully tested. Einstein said that for his theory to be valid it would have to pass three tests. "If," Einstein wrote to British scientist Sir Arthur Eddington, "it were proved that this effect does not exist in nature, then the whole theory would have to be abandoned."
The idea that human beings have changed and are changing the basic climate system of the Earth through their industrial activities and burning of fossil fuels--the essence of the Greens' theory of global warming--has not much basis in science. Global warming, like Marxism, is a political theory of actions, demanding compliance with its rules.
Those who buy in to global warming wish to drastically curb human economic and industrial activities, regardless of the consequences for people, especially the poor. If the theory's conclusions are accepted and agreed upon, the destructive results will be felt most severely in those states that adhere to the rule of law and will observe restrictions most faithfully. The global warming activists' target is the U.S. If America is driven to accept crippling restraints on its economy it will rapidly become unable to shoulder its burdens as the world's sole superpower and ultimate defender of human freedoms. We shall all suffer, however, as progress falters and then ceases and living standards decline.
1. The writer of the passage is probably _______.
A.one of the “Greens”
B.an American
C.not quite a believer in Global Warming
D.an environmentalist
2.Which person(s), in the writer’s eyes, is the one he agrees with?
A.Karl Marx B.Sir Karl Popper C.The Greens D.Mary Shelley
3.Sir Arthur Eddington could be inferred as a ______.
A.politician B.poet C.Greenpeacer D.physicist
4.“denounce” in the third paragraph can be replaced by ______.
A.announce B.pronounce
C.speak out for D.speak out against
5. Which of the following is probably a good title for this article?
A.Why Einstein’s Theory Stands the Tests.
B.Which Country the “Greens” Are Attacking?
C.Global Warming? I See Little Point.
D.The Climate in England and beyond.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
I can’t remember the first time one of my children told me, “I hate you.” I can, however, tell you that it still happens occasionally, but it doesn’t bother me. As their father, I often say things that are unpopular. If they hate me once in a while, I know I’m doing a good job.
There are three other words that I won’t allow in my house, however. Last week, I was watching my older son play with a paper airplane. After he accidentally threw it into a wall and it came apart, his eyes welled up with tears.
“I hate myself,” he said. It wasn’t the first time he’d said it, and I was concerned that he’d started to actually believe it.
I knelt down next to him and made him look into my eyes. I told him that I never wanted to hear those words again, and that he needed to respect himself.
The difference between your kid telling you they hate you and them saying they hate themselves is that, five minutes later, they’ve already forgotten they “hate you”. Self-hate is much more potentially poisonous and for young people, it can linger into the rest of their life.
Kids who start to believe they hate themselves sometimes struggle to form new friendships. As teenagers, they avoid the chance to connect with a potential love interest, because they assume they’ll be rejected. And as adults, they might choose not to apply for the dream job because they assume it won’t work out.
I know this is true, because I didn’t have a high opinion of myself as a child. I found myself struggling in many areas, and I’d hate to see my children suffer the same fate.
Sometimes, words are just words. But some words can make the kind of impact I’d very much like to avoid for my children. I don’t fear strong language; I fear language that makes us weak.
1.How did the author feel on hearing his kids saying “I hate you”?
A. Depressed. B. Annoyed. C. Unconcerned. D. Excited.
2.Why won’t the author allow the three words “I hate myself”?
A. Because the impact of thinking in this way is negative.
B. Because it hurts parents to hear their kids saying so.
C. Because it doesn’t make any sense to blame oneself.
D. Because the impoliteness of saying so is unbearable.
3.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “linger” in paragraph 5?
A. come to an end B. continue to exist C. begin to change D. become out of date
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When I was young, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood. I remember the shiny box on the wall. But I was too little to reach it. I could only listen to my mother talk on it.
I discovered that inside the-wonderful box lived an amazing person whose name was Information Please. There was nothing she did not know.
One day my mother went out. I accidentally hurt my finger when I was playing with a hammer. I walked around the house sucking my finger, finally seeing the telephone. Quickly I dragged a chair over and climbed up.
“Information Please, ”I spoke into the receiver. A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear. “Information.”
“I hurt my finger…”I cried into the phone.
“Isn’t your mother home?” came the question.
“Nobody’s home but me.” I sobbed.
“Are you bleeding?” the voice asked.
“No,” I replied, “I hit my finger with the hammer and it hurts.”
“Can you open your icebox?” she asked. I said I could.
“Then take a little piece of ice and hold it to your finger.” said the voice.
After that, I called “Information Please” for everything. I asked her for help with my geography and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me with my math. She told me her name was Sally.
Then, there was the time my pet canary(金丝雀)died. I called “Information Please” and told Sally the sad story. “Why is it that birds sing so beautifully and bring joy to all families, only to end up as a pile of feathers?” She listened, then said quietly, “Paul, always remember that there are other worlds to sing in.” Somehow, I felt better.
One day when I called “Information Please” again, a different voice answered “Information.”
I asked for Sally. “Are you a friend?” she said.
“Yes,” I answered.
“I’m sorry to have to tell you this,” she said. “She died five days ago.” Before I could hang up she said, “Wait a minute. Did you say your name was Paul?”
“Yes.”
“Well, Sally left a message for you. The note said, ‘Tell him I still say there are other worlds to sing in. He’ll know what I mean.’” I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant.
1.When the author hurt his finger, he rang because __________.
A. he believed that the telephone knew everything
B. the telephone could tell him a doctor’s number
C. his mother was on the other end of the telephone
D. he was once told to ask for help in this way
2.Through the help from Sally, it can be inferred that __________.
A. Sally was a geography teacher
B. Sally was the author’s friend
C. Sally was a considerate person
D. Sally was an imaginary person
3.What did Sally really mean by her message?
A. She was sure that she could sing in other worlds.
B. She didn’t want Paul to be sad about her death.
C. Singing helped Paul to face death more easily.
D. There was no need for Paul to call her anymore.
4.What is the best title for this passage?
A. My Pet’s Death
B. An Amazing Woman
C. A Healing Message
D. My Magic Box
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The streams were long gone back into the earth. If we didn’t see some rain soon we would lose everything.
I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year-old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He was obviously walking with a great effort, trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house.
Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful long step toward the woods. This activity went on for over an hour: walking cautiously to the woods, then running back to the house. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me. I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey.
He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill(溅出) the water he held in them. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much greater purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site.
Several large deer appeared threatening in front of him. But Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. And I saw a baby deer lying on the ground, obviously suffering from heavy loss of water and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap(舔) up the water cupped in my beautiful boy’s hand.
I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save a life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined by other drops... and more drops... and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, himself, was weeping with pride.
1.What can be learned from Paragraph 1?
A. The writer lived in the hottest place.
B. It wouldn’t rain during the dry season.
C. All the crops in the area were dead.
D. People were in great need of rain.
2.Billy walked carefully to the woods because ______.
A. he was not old enough to walk freely
B. he didn’t want to be followed by his mother
C. he tried not to spill the water in his hands
D. he wanted to attract his mother’s attention
3.Why did the writer almost scream for Billy to get away?
A. Because she saw the most amazing site in the woods
B. Because those large deer appeared dangerous
C. Because she saw a baby deer laying on the ground
D. Because the deer suffered from heavy loss of water
4.After learning about the truth, the author felt _______.
A. curious and confused B. scared and excited
C. moved and curious D. proud and moved
5.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A. The Water of Life B. Importance of Water
C. How to Save Animals D. Animals in Danger
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were_______. If we didn't see some rain soon, we would_______everything. It was on this day that I learned the true lesson of _______and witnessed the only miracle I have seen with my own eyes.
I was in the kitchen making lunch _______ I saw my six-year-old son, Billy, walking toward the _______ Minutes after he_______into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house. Moments later, however, he was once again _______ in that slow purposeful step toward the woods. This activity went on for an hour: walk_______to the woods, run back to the house.
Finally I couldn’t take it any longer and I crept (悄悄地走)out of the house and _______ him on his journey. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most__________ sight. A tiny deer was lying on the ground,__________ suffering from dehydration (脱水)and heat exhaustion,__________ its head with great effort to lap up (舔食)the water __________ in my beautiful boy’s hand. When the water was __________ , Billy jumped up to run back to the house. I followed him back to a tap that we had__________the water to. Billy opened it all the way up and a little water began to flow slowly. He __________there, letting the water slowly __________ his hand—the temporary cup.
When he stood up and began to go back, I was there in front of him. His little eyes just filled with__________ “ I’m not wasting” was all he said. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the __________ , they were suddenly joined by other drops ... more drops ... and more.
All I can say is that the __________ that came that day saved our farm, just like the actions of one little boy saved another.
1.A. flying B. dying C. growing D. blowing
2.A. win B. catch C. lose D. leave
3.A. sharing B. accepting C. receiving D. sending
4.A. as B. since C. while D. when
5.A. house B. woods C. garden D. field
6.A. disappeared B. appeared C. lost D. ran
7.A. swimming B. jumping C. walking D. leaping
8.A. anxiously B. curiously C. seriously D. carefully
9.A. followed B. caught C. stopped D. shouted
10.A. exciting B. amazing C. frightening D. puzzling
11.A. lightly B. surely C. cleanly D. obviously
12.A. lowering B. dragging C. lifting D. pulling
13.A. cupped B. put C. given D. sent
14.A. disappeared B. gone C. lost D. used
15.A. put off B. turned up C. shut off D. take up
16.A. lay B. stood C. slept D. knelt
17.A. fill up B. ran through C. went through D. made up
18.A. dirt B. tears C. earth D. water
19.A. hand B. clothes C. ground D. feet
20.A. boy B. deer C. water D. rain
高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The streams were long gone back into the earth. If we didn't see some rain soon we would lose everything.
I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He was obviously walking with a great effort... trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house.
Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful long step toward the woods. This activity went on for over an hour: walking cautiously to the woods, then running back to the house. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me. I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey.
He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill the water he held in them. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much greater purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site.
Several large deer appeared threatening in front of him. But Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. And I saw a baby deer lying on the ground, obviously suffering from heavy loss of water and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy's hand.
I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save a life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined by other drops... and more drops... and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, Himself, was weeping with pride.
1.Why did the author follow her son?
A. Because there might be danger.
B. Because her son was doing a good deed.
C. Because she intended to help.
D. Because she was curious.
2.Which of the following statements is Not True according to the passage?
A. Rain was in great need.
B. Billy carried water with his small hands.
C. There were few trees in the woods.
D. Billy walked into the woods and then returned over and over again.
3.Which is the correct order of the development of the story?
① The author was moved to tears.
② Billy fed the water to the baby deer.
③ Billy walked towards the large deer.
④ It began to rain.
⑤ The author followed Billy into the woods.
A. ③②⑤①④ B. ⑤③②①④
C. ④①③②⑤ D. ⑤②①③④
4.At the end of the story, the author might experience different feelings Except that _____
A. Billy was a pride.
B. God was touched by Billy's activity.
C. the rain should have dropped earlier.
D. it was worthwhile to have given birth to Billy.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The streams were long gone back into the earth. If we didn't see some rain soon we would lose everything.
I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He was obviously walking with a great effort... trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house.
Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful long step toward the woods. This activity went on for over an hour: walking cautiously to the woods, then running back to the house. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me. I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey.
He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill the water he held in them. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much greater purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site.
Several large deer appeared threatening in front of him. But Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. And I saw a baby deer lying on the ground, obviously suffering from heavy loss of water and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy's hand.
I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save a life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined by other drops... and more drops... and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, Himself, was weeping with pride.
1.Why did the author follow her son?
A. Because there might be danger.
B. Because her son was doing a good deed.
C. Because she intended to help.
D. Because she was curious.
2.Which of the following statements is Not True according to the passage?
A. Rain was in great need.
B. Billy carried water with his small hands.
C. There were few trees in the woods.
D. Billy walked into the woods and then returned over and over again.
3.Which is the correct order of the development of the story?
① The author was moved to tears.
② Billy fed the water to the baby deer.
③ Billy walked towards the large deer.
④ It began to rain.
⑤ The author followed Billy into the woods.
A. ③②⑤①④ B. ⑤③②①④
C. ④①③②⑤ D. ⑤②①③④
4.At the end of the story, the author might experience different feelings Except that ________.
A. Billy was a pride
B. God was touched by Billy's activity
C. the rain should have dropped earlier
D. it was worthwhile to have given birth to Billy
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
We had a picnic last month and it was a lot of fun, so let’s have ________ one this month.
A. the other B. some C. another D. other
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
I can still remember it as it was yesterday. I was a college freshman and had _______ up most of the night, laughing and talking with friends. Now just before my first _______ of the day, my eyelids were feeling heavier and heavier and my head was drifting down to my desk to make my textbook a _______. A few minutes nap(瞌睡) time before class wouldn’t _______, I thought.
BOOM! I lifted my head suddenly and my eyes opened wider than saucers. I looked around with my _______ beating wildly trying to find the cause of the ________. My young professor was looking back at me with a boyish smile on his face. He had ________ dropped the textbooks he was carrying onto his desk. “Good morning!”, he said, still ________. “I am glad to see everyone is _______. Now let’s get started.”
For the next hour I wasn’t sleepy at all. It wasn’t from the _______ of my professor’s textbook alarm clock either. It was instead from the _______ discussion he led. With knowledge and good _______ he made the material come _______. His insights were full of both wisdom and loving-kindness. And the enthusiasm and joy that he _______ with were contagious(富有感染力的). I ______ the classroom not only ______ awake, but a little smarter and a little better as well.
I learned something far more important than not _______ in class that day too. I learned that if you are going to do something in this life, do it with _______. What a wonderful place this would be if all of us did our work joyously and well. Don’t sleepwalk your way through _______ then. Wake up! Let your love fill your work. Life is too ______ not to live it well.
1.A. took B. divided C. stayed D. put
2.A. teacher B. test C. task D. class
3.A. platform B. pillow C. carpet D. wall
4.A. lose B. help C. last D. hurt
5.A. heart B. mind C. thought D. head
6.A. trouble B. noise C. failure D. incident
7.A. angrily B. carelessly C. intentionally D. accidentally
8.A. smiling B. talking C. complaining D. shouting
9.A. active B. curious C. present D. awake
10.A. voice B. shock C. interruption D. blow
11.A. fascinating B. convincing C.puzzling D.encouraging
12.A. point B. sense C.humor D.look
13.A. strange B. natural C. true D. alive
14.A. taught B. spread C. combined D. started
15.A. decorated B. filled C. left D. entered
16.A. high B. wide C. narrow D. widely
17.A. discussing B. speaking C. cheating D. sleeping
18.A. joy B. speed C. aim D. determination
19.A. work B. life C. journey D. college
20.A. hard B. complex C. short D. Simple
高二英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Our monthly talks start at 19:30 on the first Thursday of each month except August. Admission is at normal charges and you don’t need to book. They end around 21:00.
November 7th
The Canal Pioneers, by Chris Lewis. James Brindley is recognized as one of the leading early canal engineers. He was also a major player in training others in the art of canal planning and building. Chris Lewis will explain how Brindley made such a positive contribution to the education of that group of early “civil engineers”.
December 5th
Ice for the Metropolis, by Malcolm Tucker. Well before the arrival of freezers, there was a demand for ice for food preservation and catering, Malcolm will explain the history of importing natural ice and the technology of building ice wells, and how London’s ice trade grew.
February 6th
An Update on the Cotsword Canals, by Liz Payne. The Stroudwater Canal is moving towards reopening. The Thames and Severn Canal will take a little longer. We will have a report on the present state of play.
March 6th
Eyots and Aits- Thames Islands, by Miranda Vickers. The Thames has many islands. Miranda has undertaken a review of all of them. She will tell us about those of greatest interest.
Online bookings:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/book
More into:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson
London Canal Museum
12-13 New Wharf Road, London NI 9RT
www.canalmuseum.org.uk www.canalmuseum.mobi
Tel:020 77130836
1.When is the talk on James Brindley?
A. February 6th. B. March 6th.
C. November 7th. D. December 5th.
2.What is the topic of the talk in February?
A. The Canal Pioneers.
B. Ice for the Metropolis
C. Eyots and Aits- Thames Islands
D. An Update on the Cotsword Canals
3.Who will give the talk on the islands in the Thames.
A. Miranda Vickers B. Malcolm Tucker
C. Chris Lewis D. Liz Payne
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析