Charms and SymbolsWell before the 15th centur...

Charms and Symbols

Well before the 15^th century, an Anglo-Saxon custom required that a prospective bridegroom break some highly valued personal belonging. Half of the broken token was held by the father of the bride and the other half by the groom. A wealthy man was expected to split a piece of gold or silver.

The earliest engagement rings were also used as wedding rings, serving to seal an act of sale which transformed ownership of a daughter from father to husband. Such rings were usually of solid gold to prove the groom’s worth.

For Roman Catholics, the engagement ring became a required statement of Nuptial intent（结婚意向）, as decreed by Pope Nicholas I in 860 A.D. The engagement ring was to be of valued metal, preferably gold, which for the husband-to-be represented a financial sacrifice.

Signifying enduring love, and chosen for its durability, the diamond was chosen for the engagement ring. The diamond’s fire is also associated with “love’s clear flame,” given by Medieval(中世纪的) Italians because of their belief that the diamond was created from the flames of love.

The Venetians were the first to discover that the diamond is one of the hardest, most enduring substance in nature, and the fine cutting and polishing releases the brilliance. Rarity and cost limited their rapid proliferation（急增） throughout Europe but their intrinsic（内在的） appeal guaranteed them a future. By the 17^th century, the diamond ring Had become the most sought after statement of European engagement.　

1.Who kept the two halves of the engagement rings before marriage?

A. The bride’s father and the bridegroom’s mother.

B. The bride’s mother and the bridegroom.

C. The bride and the bridegroom.

D. The bridegroom and the bride’s father,

2.What’s TRUE about the early Anglo-Saxon custom before the 15^th century ?

A. A will-be bridegroom should beat all this valuable belongs.

B. Every will-be bride should split a piece of gold.

C. The engagement rings were also used to prove the groom’s worth.

D. A rich bride should break one of her most valuable personal belongs.

3.Pope Nicholas made the engagement ring a required statement of nuptial intent ______.

A. in the 15^th century          B. around 3000 years ago

C .in the 1860s                D. by the 17^th century

4.What kind of engagement ring has been the most popular one in Europe ?

A. Rings made of gold          B. Rings made of silver

C. Rings made of diamond       D. Rings made of a unknown substance in nature.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Well before the 15th century, an Anglo-Saxon custom required that a prospective bridegroom break some highly valued personal belonging. Half of the broken token was held by the father of the bride and the other half by the groom. A wealthy man was expected to split a piece of gold or silver.

The earliest engagement rings were also used as wedding rings, serving to seal an act of sale which transformed ownership of a daughter from father to husband. Such rings were usually of solid gold to prove the groom’s worth.

For Roman Catholics, the engagement ring became a required statement of Nuptial intent（结婚意向）, as decreed by Pope Nicholas I in 860 A.D. The engagement ring was to be of valued metal, preferably gold, which for the husband-to-be represented a financial sacrifice.

Signifying enduring love, and chosen for its durability, the diamond was chosen for the engagement ring. The diamond’s fire is also associated with “love’s clear flame,” given by Medieval Italians because of their belief that the diamond was created from the flames of love.

The Venetians were the first to discover that the diamond is one of the hardest, most enduring substances in nature, and fine cutting and polishing releases the brilliance. Rarity and cost limited their rapid proliferation（急增） throughout Europe but their intrinsic（内在的） appeal guaranteed them a future. By the 17th century, the diamond ring had become the most sought after statement of European engagement.　　

1. Who kept the two halves of the engagement rings before marriage?

A. The bride’s father and the bridegroom’s mother.

B. The bride’s mother and the bridegroom.

C. The bride and the bridegroom.

D. The bridegroom and the bride’s father,

2. What’s TRUE about the early Anglo-Saxon custom before the 15th century ?

A. A will-be bridegroom should beat all his valuable belongings.

B. Every will-be bride should split a piece of gold.

C. The engagement rings were also used to prove the groom’s worth.

D. A rich bride should break one of her most valuable personal belongs.

3. Pope Nicholas made the engagement ring a required statement of nuptial intent ______.

A. in the 15th century           B. over 1,000 years ago

C .in the 1860s                D. by the 17th century

4. What kind of engagement ring has been the most popular one in Europe ?

A. Rings made of gold          B. Rings made of silver

C. Rings made of diamond       D. Rings made of an unknown substance in nature.

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

The Diaoyu Islands _____ in Chinese maps since the 14th and 15th centuries.

A. have been included                                     B. had been included

C. were included                                      D. are included

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

根据课文填空：

Before the middle of the 5th century, people in Britain all spoke a language called Celtic．Then three Germanic  __34____ from the __35____ mainland ---the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes---- invaded Britain．They each had their own language and Anglo-Saxon developed from_mixing these languages with Celtic．At the end of 9th century, the Vikings,people from Scandinavian countries,___36___Damark and Norway began to invade Britain．They __37____with them their languages,which also mixed with Anglo-Saxon．The language they____38__is what we now call Old English．

高三英语单词拼写中等难度题查看答案及解析

The voyages of travellers before the 17^th century show that they were not ________ the sea even though they didn’t have modern navigational aids.

A. at the expense of    B. at the risk of       C. in the way of    D. at the mercy of

高三英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析

Dante Gabriel Rossetti was a famous 19th-century poet and artist.One day,he was____by an elderly man.The old fellow had some sketches and drawings that he wanted Rossetti to look at and tell him if they were any good, ____if they at least showed____talent.

Rossetti examined them carefully.After the first few, he knew that they were____,showing not the least____of artistic talent.But Rossetti was a kind man,and he told the elderly man as____as possible that the pictures were without much____and showed little talent.He was sorry,but he could not____to the man.The visitor was____,but seemed to____Rossetti's judgment.

He then____for taking up Rossetti's time,but____to ask whether he would just look at a few more drawings—these done by a young art student.Rossetti looked over the second batch of sketches and immediately became____ over the talent they____.“These,”he said,“oh,these are good.This young student has great talent.He should be given every help and encouragement in his____as an artist.He has a great future if he will work hard and____it.”

Rossetti could see that the old fellow was deeply____.“Who is this fine young artist?”he asked.“Your son?” “No,”said the old man____. “It is me—40 years ago.If only I had heard your____then!For you see,I got discouraged and gave up—too____.”

1.A. thrilled　　 B. approached　　 C. hunted　　 D. admired

2.A. or　　 B. and　　 C. but　　 D. while

3.A. amazing　　 B. extraordinary　　 C. potential　　 D. equal

4.A. worthless　　 B. expensive　　 C. humorous　　 D. satisfactory

5.A. stress　　 B. sign　　 C. mark　　 D. angle

6.A. rudely　　 B. proudly　　 C. awkwardly　　 D. gently

7.A. effort　　 B. argument　　 C. value　　 D. wonder

8.A. lie　　 B. rush　　 C. salute　　 D. owe

9.A. excited　　 B. disappointed　　 C. confused　　 D. surprised

10.A. refuse　　 B. expect　　 C. confirm　　 D. doubt

11.A. thanked　　 B. searched　　 C. apologized　　 D. applied

12.A. hesitated　　 B. offered　　 C. threatened　　 D. hated

13.A. bored　　 B. annoyed　　 C. enthusiastic　　 D. desperate

14.A. possessed　　 B. revealed　　 C. lacked　　 D. needed

15.A. career　　 B. reputation　　 C. personality　　 D. promise

16.A. date back to　　 B. forget　　 C. remember　　 D. stick to

17.A. challenged　　 B. appreciated　　 C. disturbed　　 D. moved

18.A. jokingly　　 B. happily　　 C. sadly　　 D. apparently

19.A. voice　　 B. praise　　 C. proposal　　 D. lecture

20.A. late　　 B. simply　　 C. eagerly　　 D. soon

高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

In the 19th century, an Arab physician known as Zuhr Ibn conducted some animal research to assess the surgical procedures that could be applicable in humans. Since then, animal testing has been considered to be the most efficient way to develop new drugs. New medical treatments and drugs are tested in animals first to determine their effectiveness or safety levels before they are finally tested on humans. However, it remains controversial whether it is morally right or wrong to use animals for medical or commercial experiments.

Use of animals for medical purposes is seen to be necessary by many scientists. Researchers usually begin their trials using rats. If the tests are successful, further tests are done on monkeys before using human beings. For testing, such tiered(分层的) rounds are important because it reduces the level of error and any negative side effects. Some argue that animal testing has contributed to many life-saving cures and treatments and there is no adequate alternative to testing on a living, whole-body system. Moreover, there are regulations for animal testing that limit the misuse of animals during research, which serves as evidence that animals are well taken care of and treated well instead of being intentionally harmed.

However, some other experts and animal welfare groups have opposed such practice, terming it as inhumane(不人道的) and claiming it should be banned. According to Humane Society International, animals used in experiments are commonly subjected to force feeding, radiation exposure, operations to deliberately cause damage and frightening situations to create depression and anxiety. They also hold the view that animals are very different from human beings and therefore make poor test subjects. Drugs that pass animal tests are not necessarily safe.　 Animal tests on the arthritis(关节炎) drug Vioxx showed that it would have a protective effect on the hearts of mice, yet the drug went on to cause more than 27,000 heart attacks before being pulled from the market.

It’s safe to say that using animals for tests will continue to be debated in many years to come. Despite the benefits of animal testing, some of the animal welfare organizations’ concerns need to be addressed with adequate regulations to ensure that animals are treated humanely.

1.Why is animal testing considered necessary?

A.Because rats are more similar to humans than monkeys.

B.Because other testing alternatives may not replace the need for animals.

C.Because animal testing can spare humans any side effect.

D.Because animal testing has been in practice since the 19th century.

2.What suffering do animals go through during experiments?

A.Eating poisonous food.

B.Being killed deliberately.

C.Breathing in polluted air.

D.Having unnecessary operations.

3.What does the example Vioxx in paragraph 3 tell us?

A.Arthritis is hard to cure.

B.Some drugs need to be withdrawn from the market.

C.Animals can not necessarily produce accurate results.

D.A drug should be tested many more times before its release.

4.What action will the author probably agree with?

A.Experts try hard to determine whether animal tests are harmful.

B.The authorities issue a new law to guarantee animal rights during research.

C.Scientists reduce the number of animals used in research.

D.Relevant organizations show more concern about the animals’ welfare.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Most of the 20th century has been a development on the Industrial Revolution taken to an extreme: people now own more products than ever before; there are enough unclear weapons to destroy the earth several times over; there is hardly any forest left and pollution has got to the point where we buy water. Within a few years I predict you will be able to buy air. (There once was a time when you didn’t need to buy food or shelter either.)

Important developments in the last century are the breading down of the class structures left over from the Industrial Revolution stage, bringing with it the empowerment of the “common man ”: the working day is set by law to only 8 hours a day, everyone has the vote, the media has less obvious government control, people have landed on the moon, sent spacecrafts to Mars and so on. Families have also shrunk drastically（强烈地）; the nuclear family came about, and especially in the last half of the 20th century, one-parent families are becoming more common. This shrinking in the size of the family shows the increased independence of people—once upon a time people had to live in large groups to survive.

As humans have “become the gods”, they have realized their individuality and independence and taken their control of the world to an extreme. In many countries the land is almost completely used in the land is almost completely used in the production of food and as living space and they live in small cities which are entirely human constructed, made from materials which are also entirely human constructed(concrete, bricks) with hardly any remains of nature. Weeds are poisoned because they are messy; even parks have trees grown in tidy lines; grass is mowed to keep it short and so on. I think the massive drug “problem” troubling people is a result of too much of this influence, humans needing to escape the stark world they have created by entering fantasy worlds.

Over the last 100 years, the 20th century consciousness has spread throughout the world; most of Asia has been thoroughly “Westernized”, and most of the Third World is being overrun by western ways of doing things and living.

1.What’s the author most concerned about?

A．The influence of pollution.

B．Strong effects of development.

C．Changed positions of humans as gods.

D．The process of the Industrial Revolution.

2.What is the author’s attitude towards the changes of the 20th century?

A．Objective.  B．Tolerant.    C．Vague.        D．Negative.

3.What does the underlined word “stark” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Unfair.        B．Illegal.        C．Dull.   D．Violent.

4.What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Men’s individuality is over controlled.

B．People have damaged nature too much.

C．Men’s independence is partially limited.

D．People show concern for nuclear families.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Bedfordshire had its fair share of royal visits from the early stages of the 10th Century onwards and the importance that the county placed on this is evident in the monuments, country houses, churches and any number of other structures that are still present there to this day. Bedford Castle is one of those structures and, although it is nowhere near its former glory today, it is an essential attraction to visit if you really want to grasp what its heritage means to the county!

Bedford Castle was built initially as a fortress to help protect Bedfordshire on the south of the River Ouse after the people in the local towns and villages had already been subdued. It was erected in 919 on the orders of King Edward the Elder, although it was destroyed by a Danish invasion years later. This was when it was rebuilt as the castle, of which the ruins exist today!

There is a long history behind the castle that involves several kings as a result of the Duke of Bedford being an ardent royalist. Bedford Castle repeatedly offered the kings of England refuge against various storms in the form of onslaughts from abroad and various domestic threats against them, and this is where much of its fame lies, even though the castle itself is no longer there. There are various tours of the ruins that you can take when you visit though and all of the guides are extremely knowledgeable. They will happily tell you tales of the mound and the castle that preceded it.

The mound is open to the public all year round and is a proud part of the area’s heritage. It is recommended by the majority of people that visit Bedfordshire because it tells you much about why the county is currently how it is. You can view the river from the mound and the surrounding settlements as well as the remains of the castle, and every moment spent there is worth it so enjoy the history and the very nature of the county itself!

1.What do we know from the first paragraph?

2. The underlined word “initially” in Paragraph 2 probably means _______ .

3.The kings of England came to Bedford Castle ______.

4.Why are visitors recommended to visit Bedfordshire？

5.The purpose of writing the text is _______.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Comparisons were drawn between the development of television in the 20th century and the diffusion of printing in the 15th and 16th centuries. Yet much had happened _____. As was discussed before, it was not _____ the 19th century that the newspaper became the dominant pre-electronic _____, following in the wake of the pamphlet and the book and in the _____ of the periodical. It was during the same time that the communications revolution _____ up, beginning with transport, the railway, and leading _____ through the telegraph, the telephone, radio, and motion pictures _____ the 20th-century world of the motor car and the air plane. Not everyone sees that process in a right way. Nevertheless, it is _____ to do so.

It is generally recognized, _____, that the introduction of the computer in the early 20th century, _____ by the invention of the integrated circuit during the 1960s, radically changed the process, _____ its impact on the media was not immediately _____. As time went by, computers became smaller and more powerful, and they became “personal” too, as well as institutional, with display becoming _____ and storage capacity _____. They were thought of, like people, _____ generations, with the distance between generations much _____.

It was within the computer age that the term “information society” began to be widely used to describe the _____ within which we now live. The communications revolution has _____ both work and leisure and how we think and feel both about place and time, but there have been _____ views about its economic, political, social and cultural implications. “Benefits” have been weighed _____ “harmful” outcomes. And generalizations have proved difficult.

1.A. between        B. before        C. since        D. later

2.A. after        B. by            C. during        D. until

3.A. means        B. method        C. medium        D. measure

4.A. process        B. company        C. light        D. form

5.A. gathered    B. speeded        C. worked         D. picked

6.A. on            B. out            C. over            D. off

7.A. of            B. for            C. beyond         D. into

8.A. important    B. difficult    C. honest        D. concrete

9.A. indeed        B. hence        C. however        D. therefore

10.A. brought    B. followed        C. stimulated.     D. characterized

11.A. unless        B. since        C. lest            D. although

12.A. apparent    B. desirable    C. negative        D. believable

13.A. sharper    B. darker        C. heavier        D. higher

14.A. decreasing    B. increasing    C. declining    D. flowing

15.A. by means ofB. in terms of    C. with regard toD. in line with

16.A. deeper        B. fewer        C. nearer        D. smaller

17.A. environmentB. distance        C. sky            D. state

18.A. regarded    B. impressed    C. influenced    D. effected

19.A. competitiveB. controversialC. conditional    D. clumsy

20.A. above        B. upon            C. against        D. with

高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析