It is found that American students spend less than 15% of their time in school. While there’s no doubt that school is important, a number of recent studies reminds us that parents are even more so. A study published earlier this month by researchers at North Carolina State University, for example, finds that parental involvement — checking homework, attending school meetings and events, discussing school activities at home — has a more powerful influence on students’ academic performance than anything about the school the students attend. Another study, published in the Review of Economics and Statistics, reports that the effort put forth by parents (reading stories aloud, meeting with teachers) has a bigger impact on their children’s educational achievement than the effort devoted by either teachers or the students themselves. And a third study concludes that schools would have to increase their spending by more than $1,000 per pupil in order to achieve the same results that are gained with parental involvement.
So parents matter. But it is also revealed in researches that parents, of all backgrounds, don’t need to buy expensive educational toys or digital devices for their kids in order to give them an advantage. They don’t need to drive their offspring (子孙,后代)to enrichment classes or test-preparation courses. What they need to do with their children is much simpler: talk.
But not just any talk. Recent research has indicated exactly what kinds of talk at home encourage children’s success at school. For example, a study conducted by researchers at the UCLA School of Public Health and published in the journal Pediatrics found that two-way adult-child conversations were six times as potent in promoting language development as the ones in which the adult did all the talking. Engaging in this reciprocal(双向的) back-and-forth gives children a chance to try out language for themselves, and also gives them the sense that their thoughts and opinions matter.
The content of parents’ conversations with kids matters, too. Children who hear talk about counting and numbers at home start school with much more extensive mathematical knowledge, report researchers from the University of Chicago. While the conversations parents have with their children change as kids grow older, the effect of these exchanges on academic achievement remains strong. Research finds that parents play an important role in what is called “academic socialization” — setting expectations and making connections between current behavior and future goals. Engaging in these sorts of conversations has a greater impact on educational accomplishment.
1.Parents are even more important than schools because ______.
A. parental involvement makes up for what schools are not able to do
B. teachers and students themselves do not put in enough effort
C. parental involvement saves money for schools and the local government
D. students may well make greater achievements with parents' attention
2.It can be inferred from the 2nd paragraph that ______.
A. educational toys are unaffordable nowadays
B. digital devices can give children an advantage
C. some parents believe in enrichment classes
D. talking with children is a very simple task
3.The word "potent" is closest in meaning to ______.
A. powerful B. difficult C. necessary D. resistant
4.Which of the following will more encourage children's success at school according to the passage?
A. Parents order their children to stop playing video games.
B. Parents discuss with their children the possible future career.
C. Parents lecture their children on getting too low marks on tests.
D. Parents introduce colleges around the US to their children.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
It is found that American students spend less than 15% of their time in school. While there’s no doubt that school is important, a number of recent studies reminds us that parents are even more so. A study published earlier this month by researchers at North Carolina State University, for example, finds that parental involvement — checking homework, attending school meetings and events, discussing school activities at home — has a more powerful influence on students’ academic performance than anything about the school the students attend. Another study, published in the Review of Economics and Statistics, reports that the effort put forth by parents (reading stories aloud, meeting with teachers) has a bigger impact on their children’s educational achievement than the effort devoted by either teachers or the students themselves. And a third study concludes that schools would have to increase their spending by more than $1,000 per pupil in order to achieve the same results that are gained with parental involvement.
So parents matter. But it is also revealed in researches that parents, of all backgrounds, don’t need to buy expensive educational toys or digital devices for their kids in order to give them an advantage. They don’t need to drive their offspring (子孙,后代)to enrichment classes or test-preparation courses. What they need to do with their children is much simpler: talk.
But not just any talk. Recent research has indicated exactly what kinds of talk at home encourage children’s success at school. For example, a study conducted by researchers at the UCLA School of Public Health and published in the journal Pediatrics found that two-way adult-child conversations were six times as potent in promoting language development as the ones in which the adult did all the talking. Engaging in this reciprocal(双向的) back-and-forth gives children a chance to try out language for themselves, and also gives them the sense that their thoughts and opinions matter.
The content of parents’ conversations with kids matters, too. Children who hear talk about counting and numbers at home start school with much more extensive mathematical knowledge, report researchers from the University of Chicago. While the conversations parents have with their children change as kids grow older, the effect of these exchanges on academic achievement remains strong. Research finds that parents play an important role in what is called “academic socialization” — setting expectations and making connections between current behavior and future goals. Engaging in these sorts of conversations has a greater impact on educational accomplishment.
1.Parents are even more important than schools because ______.
A. parental involvement makes up for what schools are not able to do
B. teachers and students themselves do not put in enough effort
C. parental involvement saves money for schools and the local government
D. students may well make greater achievements with parents' attention
2.It can be inferred from the 2nd paragraph that ______.
A. educational toys are unaffordable nowadays
B. digital devices can give children an advantage
C. some parents believe in enrichment classes
D. talking with children is a very simple task
3.The word "potent" is closest in meaning to ______.
A. powerful B. difficult C. necessary D. resistant
4.Which of the following will more encourage children's success at school according to the passage?
A. Parents order their children to stop playing video games.
B. Parents discuss with their children the possible future career.
C. Parents lecture their children on getting too low marks on tests.
D. Parents introduce colleges around the US to their children.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The Friday after the American holiday of Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. It’s said that it’s the day that store ledgers(分类账)move into the black and companies become profitable. On that day, retailers slash(砍) prices to get consumers to buy. It is also a time when many Americans start their Christmas shopping. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee tells us how the economy may affect consumers on that bargain day.
This day should be a shopper’s dream. “It’s just the deals, the sales and everything you can get for a lesser price,” said Sandy Thomas, a shopper. But it’s a nightmare for others. “I think it’s crazy. I’ve done all of my shopping throughout the week so I don’t have to go out on Friday,” she said. It’s called Black Friday, the start of the traditional Christmas shopping season in the United States. Every year it’s the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. Stores open before sunrise and there are deep discounts everywhere you look.
Last year a crowd of bargain-hunters killed a Wal-mart worker in a New York suburb. This year, many stores are increasing security while they slash prices. “This is a huge time for the retail stores,” said Fred Joutz from George Washington University. “This is when they begin making their profits for the year.”
Economics professor Fred Joutz says how Americans spend the weekend after Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future.
With the unemployment rate above 10 percent, Joutz says Americans are saving more and spending less. Some retailers are attracting consumers by opening on Thanksgiving Day, when shops are traditionally closed. Other stores open their doors anywhere from midnight to four in the morning.
And shoppers will be lining up in front of the doors in order to be one of the first ones to walk through and get a big discount. Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually the first items to go. Sandy Thomas says it’s an annual family tradition and well worth it. “I just save maybe half of what I would have spent on a regular, you know, shopping trip,” she said.
Economists say U.S. consumers will spend money this Black Friday, but they will spend it more carefully.
1.By saying “This day should be a shopper’s dream”, the writer means ________ .
A.shoppers have longed for this day for a long time |
B.the shops will be very crowded on that day |
C.the shops will keep open until the daybreak of next day |
D.shoppers can buy many items at low prices on that day |
2.Why are many stores increasing security according to the passage?
A.Because there are too many people saving more and spending less. |
B.Because it’s a time when they begin making their profits for the year. |
C.Because last year a crowd of bargain-hunters caused an accident. |
D.Because many stores open their doors from midnight to four a.m. |
3.From the passage we know that_________.
A.Christmas shopping is traditional time and this year it is no exception. |
B.Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually least discounted. |
C.The economy only affects consumers on that bargain day. |
D.Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future. |
4.We can find this passage in_________.
A.a science fiction |
B.a travel brochure |
C.an economic research report |
D.a book on psychology |
5.Why American people call it a black day?
A.Because they organize activities in honor of some great person. |
B.Because there are too many people going out shopping for Christmas. |
C.Too many people are celebrating Thanks giving. |
D.The sky is black that day. |
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
The Friday after the American holiday of Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. It’s said that it’s the day that store ledgers(分类账)move into the black and companies become profitable. On that day, retailers slash(砍) prices to get consumers to buy. It is also a time when many Americans start their Christmas shopping. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee tells us how the economy may affect consumers on that bargain day.
This day should be a shopper’s dream. “It’s just the deals, the sales and everything you can get for a lesser price,” said Sandy Thomas, a shopper. But it’s a nightmare for others. “I think it’s crazy. I’ve done all of my shopping throughout the week so I don’t have to go out on Friday,” she said. It’s called Black Friday, the start of the traditional Christmas shopping season in the United States. Every year it’s the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. Stores open before sunrise and there are deep discounts everywhere you look.
Last year a crowd of bargain-hunters killed a Wal-mart worker in a New York suburb. This year, many stores are increasing security while they slash prices. “This is a huge time for the retail stores,” said Fred Joutz from George Washington University. “This is when they begin making their profits for the year.”
Economics professor Fred Joutz says how Americans spend the weekend after Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future.
With the unemployment rate above 10 percent, Joutz says Americans are saving more and spending less. Some retailers are attracting consumers by opening on Thanksgiving Day, when shops are traditionally closed. Other stores open their doors anywhere from midnight to four in the morning.
And shoppers will be lining up in front of the doors in order to be one of the first ones to walk through and get a big discount. Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually the first items to go. Sandy Thomas says it’s an annual family tradition and well worth it. “I just save maybe half of what I would have spent on a regular, you know, shopping trip,” she said.
Economists say U.S. consumers will spend money this Black Friday, but they will spend it more carefully.
1.By saying “This day should be a shopper’s dream”, the writer means ________ .
A.shoppers have longed for this day for a long time
B.the shops will be very crowded on that day
C.the shops will keep open until the daybreak of next day
D.shoppers can buy many items at low prices on that day
2.Why are many stores increasing security according to the passage?
A.Because there are too many people saving more and spending less.
B.Because it’s a time when they begin making their profits for the year.
C.Because last year a crowd of bargain-hunters caused an accident.
D.Because many stores open their doors from midnight to four a.m.
3.From the passage we know that_________.
A. Christmas shopping is traditional time and this year it is no exception.
B. Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually least discounted.
C. The economy only affects consumers on that bargain day.
D. Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future.
4.We can find this passage in_________.
A. a science fiction B. a travel brochure
C. an economic research report D. a book on psychology
5.Why American people call it a black day?
A. Because they organize activities in honor of some great person.
B. Because there are too many people going out shopping for Christmas.
C. Too many people are celebrating Thanks giving.
D. The sky is black that day.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The Friday after the American holiday of Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. It’s said that it’s the day that store ledgers(分类账)move into the black and companies become profitable(有利可图的,有益的). On that day, retailers(零售商)slash prices to get consumers to buy. It is also a time when many Americans start their Christmas shopping. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee tells us how the economy may affect consumers on that bargain day.
“It’s just the deals, the sales and everything you can get for a lesser(较少的,较小的)price,” said Sandy Thomas, a shopper. But it’s a nightmare(噩梦)for others. “I think it’s crazy. I’ve done all of my shopping throughout the week so I don’t have to go out on Friday,” she said. It’s called Black Friday, the start of the traditional Christmas shopping season in the United States. Every year it’s the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. Stores open before sunrise and there are deep discounts everywhere you look.
While the lead up to Christmas is known as the season of giving, Black Friday can get ugly.
Last year a crowd of bargain-hunters killed a Wal-mart(沃尔玛公司)worker in a New York suburb. This year, many stores are increasing security while they slash prices. “This is a huge time for the retail stores,” said Fred Joutz from George Washington University. “This is when they begin making their profits for the year.”
Economics professor Fred Joutz says how Americans spend the weekend after Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future.
With the unemployment rate above 10 percent, Joutz says Americans are saving more and spending less. “Credit is still strictly controlled whether through credit cards or through borrowing from banks,” he said. Some retailers are attracting consumers by opening on Thanksgiving Day, when shops are traditionally closed. Other stores open their doors anywhere from midnight to four in the morning.
And shoppers will be lining up in front of the doors in order to be one of the first ones to walk through and get a big discount. Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually the first items to go. Sandy Thomas says it’s an annual family tradition and well worth it. “I just save maybe half of what I would have spent on a regular, you know, shopping trip,” she said.
Economists say U.S. consumers will spend money this Black Friday, but they will spend it more carefully.
1. The underlined word “slash” in the first paragraph probably means _________.
A. reduce B. raise C. increase D. change
2.The sentence “This day should be a shopper’s dream.” should be placed between ________.
A. paragraph two and paragraph three B. paragraph one and paragraph two
C. paragraph three and paragraph four D. paragraph five and paragraph six
3.Why are many stores increasing security according to the passage?
A. Because there are too many people saving more and spending less.
B. Because it’s a time when they begin making their profits for the year.
C. Because last year a crowd of bargain-hunters caused an accident.
D. Because many stores open their doors from midnight to four a.m.
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Christmas shopping is traditional time and this year it is no exception.
B. Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually least discounted.
C. The economy only affects consumers on that bargain day.
D. Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
It has been found that less than one shopper in five makes a complete shopping list before going to the store. The reason for this is that seven out of ten of today’s purchases(购买) are decided in the store, where the shoppers tend toward impulse(冲动) buying. Buying groceries on impulse had risen for the past forty years, and this rise has coincided(巧合) with the growth of self-service shopping. However, in grocery stores where clerks wait on customers there is much less impulse buying. It is hard for people to buy on impulse if they have to address a clerk.
Psychologists have joined forces with merchandising(商品) experts. It is their job to persuade people to buy products which they may not need or even want until they see them attractively presented. It was discovered by the psychologists that shoppers want help in their purchases. Having so many choices confuses them, and they prefer the package that attracts them. Therefore, it is now more usual for food packers to pay attention to their package design. Attraction depends heavily on the position of the product on the shelf, however. Thus, persuading the shopper to buy is easier if the product is located at eye-level.
1.According to the information in the first paragraph, ______ make a complete list.
A.only five shoppers | B.less than twenty percent of the shoppers |
C.only ten percent of the shoppers | D.not even five percent of the shoppers |
2.The reason for the above mentioned phenomenon is that _______.
A.people have difficulty making up their mind before going shopping |
B.people don’t know what is available in the store |
C.people tend to decide on buying products when they see them |
D.people are easily deceived(欺骗) by the attractive products |
3.In grocery stores where customers are served there is less impulse shopping. This may be because ________.
A.the clerks ignore the customers |
B.the clerks are too eager to serve the customers |
C.the stores have to send the shopper’s purchases to his house |
D.customers hesitate to ask for help if they haven’t decided what to buy |
4.Shoppers tend to buy the products put on _______.
A.the top shelf | B.the bottom shelf |
C.the shelf which people can see easily | D.the shelf where there is less confusion |
5.Which of the following might be the best title for this passage?
A.Psychologists and Merchandising Experts. | B.Impulse Buying. |
C.The more Products the More Confusion. | D.Self-service Shopping. |
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Jonny found a job as a high school teacher and it ________ spending quite a lot of time with students.
A. enjoys B. involves
C. practices D. suggests
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
It is now widely acceptable that hibernation is _____ sleep for animals.
A.more than | B.less than | C.other than | D.rather than |
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
It is common for older people to forget things. Now an American study has found that memory starts to fail when we are young adults. People younger than thirty years of age usually do not know that they are starting to forget information. But scientists from the University of Michigan say the loss of memory has usually already started.
Researchers say people do not observe this slow reduction in mental ability until the loss affects their everyday activities.
Denise Park led the new study. She directs the Centre for Aging and Cognition at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. Her team studied more than 350 men and women between the ages of twenty and ninety years. The study identified people in their middle twenties with memory problems.
She says young adults do not know they are forgetting things because their brains have more information than they need.
But she says that people in their twenties and thirties are losing memory at the same rate as people in their sixties and seventies.
Ms. Park says people between the ages of sixty and seventy may note the decrease in their mental abilities. They begin to observe that they are having more trouble remembering and learning new information.
The study found that older adults are more likely to remember false information as being true. For example, they remembered false medical claims as being true. Younger people remembered hearing the information. But they were more likely to remember that it was false.
Ms. Park is now using modern imaging equipment to study what happens in the brains of people of different ages. She is studying what parts of the brain older adults use for different activities compared to younger adults. Ms. Park says mental performance is a direct result of brain activity and brain structure. She says keeping the brain active is important. She hopes future studies will identify ways to improve the operation of our aging minds.
1.The passage is meant to _____________.
A.emphasize the importance of exercising the brain |
B.analyze the difference between different age groups on the loss of memory |
C.reveal the decrease in mental ability of young adults as well as older adults |
D.introduce effective ways to improve memory |
2. According to the passage, young adults differ from older adults in that ________.
A.they lose their memory at a slower rate |
B.they rarely realize they have memory problems |
C.their brains can store much more information |
D.all of the above |
3. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
A.Not until the loss of memory affects their daily activities, do people notice the decrease in their mental abilities. |
B.People begin to lose memory in their twenties. |
C.Older people tend to remember false information as being true. |
D.Younger people find it easier to remember the information that is proven false. |
4.It can be inferred from what Denis Park says that ______.
A.mental performance can be improved |
B.mental ability is determined entirely by brain structure |
C.people of different ages use different parts of the brain for memorizing |
D.different parts of the brain are responsible for different mental activities |
5.Which of the following is a suitable title for the passage?
A.The Mysterious Brain | B.The Ability to Forget |
C.Memory Reduction | D.Mental Performance |
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
It takes less than six seconds to leave a first impression. It is said that we ought not judge a book by its cover, but come on, isn’t it the color, the design, the layout, and the title that draw us to pick up a book we’ve never heard of before? Notice what your assumptions are about a person when you are first introduced to her or him.
Something that most of us don’t take notice of is how we stand or walk. Let’s say you are going for a job interview. Within seconds you have already said a lot about yourself by the way you walk. The majority of us walk around everyday without paying any attention to what we are saying even though we are not uttering a word. There is a lot that can be said about body language from the clothes you wear to the gestures you make.
I took notice of this topic recently as I recalled something about changing my posture to improve my level of confidence. I was about to venture on a new project, which would take me out of my comfort zone. My gremlins (小精灵) were having a field day with me uttering all kinds of reasons why I couldn’t do a good job with this new opportunity. I tucked in my tummy (收缩肚子) , put my shoulders back , held my head high , and took a walk. Soon thereafter, I felt so much better. I approached the project with new possibility. Wow, what a difference ! Try it !
The ability to capture your audience when you walk into a room is sure to start you off on the right foot when going on an interview. Non-verbal signals have five times the impact of verbal (言语的)signals. So you can count on losing your audience when you walk in with head down dragging your feet regardless how much you try to change it.
1.In the first paragraph the author intends to tell us ________ .
A.we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover |
B.a person’s appearance can be misread |
C.the first impression really means a lot |
D.we should focus more on a person’s qualities |
2.The author approached his project with new possibility after ________ .
A.his gremlins stopped talking |
B.he got rid of all his negative thoughts |
C.he walked out of his comfort zone |
D.he changed his posture to improve his confidence |
3.According to the author , when we go for a job interview , we ________ .
A.shouldn’t say a lot about ourselves |
B.shouldn’t walk with our head high up |
C.should pay enough attention to our body language and gesture |
D.should only pay attention to the way we walk within the first few seconds |
4.The author probably believes that ________ .
A.non-verbal signals are more important than verbal signals |
B.non-verbal signals are not so easy to catch |
C.we mainly rely on verbal signals during an interview |
D.we shouldn’t pay too much attention to our non-verbal signals |
5.What is mainly talked about in the passage?
A.How to prepare for a job interview |
B.The way we walk says a lot about us. |
C.How to read a person from the way he walks. |
D.How complicated body language is. |
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
— Although she sometimes loses her temper, her students like her no less.
— That’s it. _____ , she is really a good teacher.
A. At all B. In all C. Above all D. After all
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析