I have many wonderful memories of my days as ...

I have many wonderful memories of my days as a circus clown (小丑), but there is one day that I would rather forget: July 6, 1944. We were playing a two-day stand in Hartford, Connecticut, and the big top caught fire.

I could hear grandstand chairs slamming inside the tent as people headed toward the exits. Some were jumping twelve feet from the top rows of the grandstand and seats to the ground outside. Most of the crowd was pouring through the regular exits and it soon became a panic.

In the midst of this scene the musicians had kept on playing until the tent was on fire over-head because they knew music sometimes might work wonder; they had jumped off the bandstand just before a flaming quarter-pole fell into their stand.

City fire equipment had arrived by now and was pouring streams of water onto the big top area to cool it enough for firemen to enter. In the smoke and confusion, it was impossible to tell whether or not anyone might have been left in the tent. We circus people were ordered away from the smoking ruins that, only a few minutes before, had been the biggest spread of canvas in the world.

I went outside; doctors, and first-aid workers were everywhere, carrying bodies from where the grandstands and seats had been. The toll (伤亡人数) of dead and dying increased so fast that emergency crews were called in from surrounding cities.

Later it was found that 168 people had died in the fire — the worst circus disaster in history, and an afternoon of horror I can never forget.

1.The musicians kept playing during the fire probably because they ________.

A. thought the fire was in another tent

B. knew nothing about the terrible fire

C. wanted to keep the crowd from panicking

D. believed the show should go on whatever happened

2.Why were emergency crews from other cities called in?

A. There were too many victims to deal with.

B. Fire equipment in the city was not enough.

C. Too many people were left in the tent waiting.

D. The circus people were unwilling to do the rescue work.

3.Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A. A Journey to Death　　 B. The Day the Big Top Burned

C. Memories as a circus clown　　 D. The Worst Disaster in Human History

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

I've had many wonderful holidays，but my favorite memory is that of a few summer weeks spent in Italy when I was about 13.My mom had to go to a clinic there for treatment，and we all went together as a family and took the opportunity to have a beautiful vacation as well.It was the first time abroad for me and it was a vacation that broadened my perspective，taught me a lot，and helped shape a bit of who I am today.

Although we did visit many famous places in northern Italy，we stayed mostly in a little town where some friends of my parents lived.Nothing helped me understand Italian culture better than my stay in this picturesque，almost magical town that many haven't even heard of.

Thanks to the holiday spent in Italy，I，quite a shallow girl，also discovered my passion for music，which stayed alive in me to this day and will probably stay forever.My parents' friends had a son，Ricardo，who was a pianist.Dad had repeatedly but unsuccessfully tried to make me study an instrument and stick to it.However，when I heard Ricardo play，I instantly fell in love with music and felt a great desire to learn it.Ricardo taught me the first song I ever played on the piano，a silly，playful little tune that I still know by heart.

We took a short trip to the Italian Alps at some point.I had never seen such majestic beauty before! The snow­covered peaks，the intimidating rocks，the fresh，harsh air — what an experience! And what I remember impressed me the most was the fact that，although this was a popular touristic area，the region was incredibly clean，still “natural”，with places that seemed to never have been touched by humans.Then，the shallow teen that I was learned what a real treasure nature is and how important it is to protect it.

1.What was the main purpose for the author and her family to go to Italy?

A.To cure the author's mother of her illness.

B.To have a family reunion while travelling.

C.To broaden and shape the author's perspective.

D.To experience and learn from another culture.

2.What contributed to the author's passion for music?

A.Her father's instructions.

B.Ricardo's performance.

C.The piano she played on.

D.The local music culture.

3.The trip to the Italian Alps helped the author learn to ________．

A.stick to her own passion

B.balance between cultures

C.get rid of her shallowness

D.cherish and protect nature

4.What would be the best title of the text?

A.My Favorite Holiday Memory

B.A Trip Shaping My Personality

C.Lessons from a Foreign Culture

D.My Passion for Music and Nature

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

As we get older, the fear of not having a good memory grows for many people. A lot of people48  that the loss of memory can be the sign of Alzheimer’s(老年痴呆症).

It is true that as we grow older we are more 49  to develop Alzheimer’s. But with a proper lifestyle that includes a balanced diet and exercise, one can stay mentally 50  into their old age.

There are many causes of memory loss that have nothing to do with Alzheimer’s. As researchers come 51  to understanding Alzheimer’s, the outlook(前景) is 52  for people with this illness. New treatments are becoming available. With improved diagnosis(诊断), medications and treatment, one day we may be able to 53  or even reverse (反转) memory loss as we age.

Memory loss is 54    a topic of concern for people. Having Alzheimer’s can lead to increased dependency on others. Not being able to manage basic daily    55 on your own or even not being able to recognize family members would be a serious hit to anyone. This is why many elderly people often have questions and concerns.

1.A. worry             B. guess             C. insist             D. suggest

2.A. eager           B. nervous                  C. likely              D. ready

3.A. healthy                 B. honest           C. brave                    D. kind

4.A. faster            B. slower            C. farther                   D. closer

5.A. reducing                B. ending           C. improving               D. waiting

6.A. make            B. take              C. prevent                 D. protect

7.A. also            B. still                C. ever              D. even

8.A. activities                B. news              C. meals             D. drinks

高三英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

I have had so many fantastic holidays, but my favorite memory is that of a few summer weeks spent in Italy when I was about 13. My mom had to go to a clinic there for treatment, and we all went together as a family and took the opportunity to have a beautiful vacation as well. It was my first time to be abroad and it was a vacation that broadened my perspectives, taught me a lot, and helped shape a bit of who I am today.

Although we did visit many famous places in northern Italy, we stayed mostly in a little town where some friends of my parents lived. Nothing helped me understand Italian culture better than my stay in this magical town that many haven’t even heard of.

Thanks to the holiday spent in Italy, I, quite a shallow girl, also discovered my passion for music, which stayed alive in me to this day and will probably　 stay forever. My parents’ friends had a son, Ricardo, who was a pianist. Dad had repeatedly but uselessly tried to make me study an instrument and stick to it. However, when I heard Ricardo play, I instantly lost my heart to music and felt a great desire to learn it. Ricardo taught me the first song I ever played on the piano, a silly, playful little time tune that I still know by heart.

We took a short trip to the Italian Alps at some points. I had never seen such majestic beauty before! The snow-capped peaks, the rocks, the fresh, harsh air -　 what an experience! And what I remember impressed me the most was the fact that, although　 this was a popular　 touristic area, the region was incredibly　 clean, still “natural”, with places that seemed to never have been touched by humans. Then, the shallow teen learned what a real treasure nature is and how important it is to protect it.

1.What was the main reason for the author and her family to go to Italy?

A.To cure her mother of her illness.

B.To experience a wonderful vocation.

C.To broaden and shape the author’s view.

D.To keep her mother company.

2.What was the main factor contributing to the author’s enthusiasm for music?

A.Her father’s guidance. B.Ricardo’s performance.

C.Her friendship with Ricardo. D.The first song she played on the piano.

3.What did the author learn after the trip to Alps?

A.Persistence in her passion for music.

B.Enjoyment of the beauty of nature.

C.Getting rid of her shallowness.

D.Valuing and preserving the environment.

4.What would be the best title of the text?

A.My Favorite Holiday Memory.

B.A Trip Shaping My Personality.

C.Lessons from a Trip to Italy.

D.My Love for Music and Nature.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The earliest memory I have of my father is one of me as a young boy holding his hand by his two last fingers as we walked together.

As I grew older I remember us listening over a transistor radio to high school ballgames together. I would _________ how many points each player would score as the game went on. Too small to stay awake for the _________ game, I always fell asleep _________ the game ended. But the next morning I would find by my pillow the score _________ had been filled out with the _________ score on; it was completed by my father.

In high school I became very interested in athletics. My father would_________all my games. Good performances in my senior year _______ our football team to the state championship game. The night before my father _______ announced he had to _________ the bread to the stores and the site of the games was a three-hour drive from his __________. Back then I wasn’t fully noticing his ________.

The next day as game time approached I couldn’t help thinking about Dad. Suddenly, I saw that blue and white bread truck________ into the stadium. Work fulfilled, he made the long drive in time to at least see __________of my championship game.

Years later I had become a teacher and coach. Early one morning I was awakened by a ring at 5:30 A.M. As I ________to answer the phone I’ll never forget the sound of the sheriff’s voice—my dad had just been killed in an automobile accident on his way to work. It felt as if my heart had been __________.

For long I tried to remain strong ________it and pretended I didn’t care until one day on the playground a little boy walked up to me and grabbed my hand by my last two fingers just as I used to do to my dad. I completely __________ it. It was the first time since the __________ that I just let go and cried. And I felt a sense of __________. Sometimes you just have to __________. It won’t need to hold back anymore.”

1.A.add up to B.keep track of C.catch up on D.get down to

2.A.exciting B.competitive C.whole D.boring

3.A.until B.before C.after D.when

4.A.sheet B.result C.court D.decision

5.A.fair B.considerable C.initial D.final

6.A.instruct B.accompany C.attend D.train

7.A.required B.entitled C.intended D.aimed

8.A.happily B.doubtfully C.proudly D.sadly

9.A.deliver B.make C.transfer D.order

10.A.studio B.mall C.route D.truck

11.A.annoyance B.disturbance C.ignorance D.regret

12.A.rushing B.pulling C.dropping D.crawling

13.A.part B.all C.most D.sort

14.A.managed B.attempted C.switched D.struggled

15.A.lifted up B.torn away C.skipped over D.brought up

16.A.against B.beyond C.through D.beneath

17.A.lost B.helped C.made D.got

18.A.game B.telephone C.departure D.funeral

19.A.weight B.relief C.joy D.conscience

20.A.cry B.check C.accept D.forget

高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

I wondered if anyone had experienced such an unexpected trip as I had.

The day of my holiday arrived, but I wasn’t looking forward to it. I had little money and had only been able to afford to stay with my Aunt Rosa in Spain. So, I wasn’t really excited as I knew exactly what it was going to be like: lots of noisy cousins, and Aunt Rosa begging me to take her for a ride.

After I had checked in, I made my way slowly to the departure gate. As I was waiting to board the plane, I kept thinking about my ideal holiday destination: Jamaica, with its long, sandy beaches and crystal clear water.

As soon as the plane took off, I fell fast asleep and only woke to the sound of the announcement: “Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seat belts, as we will shortly be landing in Kingston.” I froze in my seat. Was I dreaming? Kingston? Jamaica? I had boarded the wrong plane!

Immediately after the plane landed, I explained the situation to the authorities. It seems there were also three other passengers heading for Spain. Apparently it had been the airline’s fault, since the flight numbers for Spain and Jamaica were exactly the same! Therefore, with no flight back to London for a week, the airline had no choice but to pay for our stay.

So there I was, lying on the beach, enjoying the music and the marvelous food of Jamaica! As for Aunt Rosa, I suppose she just had to live without me!

1.Why did the writer choose to spend her holiday with her aunt in Spain?

A. She missed her cousins very much.

B. She could hardly afford any better trip.

C. Her aunt begged her to go there.

D. Spain was her ideal destination.

2.In the text, the writer ended up _________.

A. flying to London immediately

B. heading for Spain from Jamaica

C. enjoying a free beach holiday

D. complaining to the authorities

3.Which of the following might be the best title of the text?

A. A Well-Planned Trip　　　 B. A Terrible Adventure

C. A Nice Dream　　 　　　　 　　 D. A Lucky Mistake

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

.I fell down and broke three of my teeth. I wonder how many times I have to come here and get my false teeth _______.　

高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

Cafes are everywhere these days，offering as many varieties of coffee as there are ways to have it served．And this leads to a range of prices，from cheap grab—and—go coffee，to the ultra—expensive artisanal coffee(匠人咖啡)．However，an increasing number of Western consumers are happy to pay a little more for their cup in order to ensure that it comes from an ethically(道德地)produced and sustainable source．

At The Attendant，a cafe in east London，staff attempt to make customers aware of the story of the beans that they are drinking and the impact they are having by choosing to drink ethically．For a start，it can make coffee farmers better off，according to figures from the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organization(Wipo)．Ryan de Oliveria，The Attendant’s co-founder and chief executive，says the extra income allows farmers and their families to have a better quality of life．It also makes investing or reinvesting in their business possible．

Wipo’s figures show smarter processing，branding and marketing make a huge difference to the growers and their communities．Technology now means that the beans can be tracked all the way from the farm to the cup．The research shows that for a pound(454g)of beans going to a supermarket，the export price is$1．45．Most of this goes to the farmer．The price almost doubles when the beans are he aded for large western coffee chains．But farmers exporting their beans to artisanal cafes make over $5 per pound．That’s because the coffee addicts who frequent these places are happy to pay more．

It seems that it’s a win—win situation for the farmers，cafes and consumers．So much so that more established coffee businesses are jumping on the band wagon by buying up(并购)artisanal rivals who have already accepted this way of doing things．If that’s the case，then the future of coffee production looks a little fairer for all．

1.What does paragraph 1 focus on?

A. The varieties of coffee．

B. The range of coffee prices．

C. The popularity of artisanal coffee．

D. The reason for customers to pay more for coffee．

2.Where can you find the data that best support“growing artisanal coffee is beneficial”?

A. In paragraph 1．　　 B. In paragraph 2．

C. In paragraph 3．　　 D. In paragraph 4．

3.What do the words“jumping on the band wagon”in the last paragraph probably mean?

A. Making a large profit．　　 B. Following the general trend．

C. Gaining a good reputation．　　 D. Avoiding the fierce competition．

4.What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A. To advocate ethical coffee．　　 B. To advertise coffee business．

C. To help customers to save money．　　 D. To introduce the art of processing coffee．

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

1. Whose entry will be accepted by The New Yorker?

A.        Richard, a post-graduate from Quebec, Canada, who sent his design on Dec.20.

B.        Amy, a 28-year-old Asian-American teacher, who sent her design on Jan. 20.

C.        Jessie, a 16-year-old student from New York, who sent her design on Dec. 29.

D.        John, a 68-year-old retired engineer from San Francisco, who sent his design on Jan. 10.

2. Which of the following is NOT true about James Surowiecki?

A.        James Surowiecki is the author of The Financial Page column.

B.        James Surowiecki usually has discussions with people from different fields.

C.        James Surowiecki speaks with a chairman about issues of medicine this month.

D.        Visiting newyorker.com/go/vasella, you can watch the conversation of this month between James and an economist.

3. ___________ can be provided by The Big Apple Circus Care program for sick children.

A. Excellent treatment and care         B. Trained professional doctors and nurses

C. Unique methods to relieve stress     D. Special pediatric facilities

4.Which of the following can be used by the Big Apple Circus Clown Care program to promote itself?

A.  We help all children live happy lives.

B.  Our doctors jump through rings to cure the blues.

C.  Every life deserves world class care.

D.  Work together for a healthier world.

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

I remember my childhood summers fondly, as many of us do. Those golden days in which I would leave the house after a still sleepy, leisurely breakfast and come home only for lunch in the middle of a day spent entirely outdoors. We did not live in town and, thus, playmates were limited to siblings (兄弟姐妹) and the cousins who lived down the road.

Our backyard became the playground in which our imaginations would run wild—turning those few acres into magical forests, the creek (小溪) into a violent river and our trusty dog, Rex, into the many roles of horse, monster and any other creature that we children did not want to play. By the end of the three months of summer break we were sunburned from our hours in the sun, full of the memories of a thousand magical moments and bonded to our siblings in a way that winter’s forced hibernation (冬眠) never seemed to connect us.

Today, I live on the same acreage that I did as a child. My children have the blessing of having the same grassy patches to scratch their bare feet as they run through it, the same creek to stomp(跺脚)through, and not the same dog—but their very own energetic pup to imagine away the days with.

However, this is not the same world as it was twenty, thirty years ago. There are screens everywhere in the house to demand attention—televisions with hundreds of channels, computers with access to a thousand entertaining sites, tablets stocked with apps. There is also no longer the expectation of a stretch of an unscheduled three months. Their school friends tell competitive stories of carefully planned vacations, spending time traveling to all of the local attractions—various parks, the zoo, the science center, all of the festivals which come breezing through town. On the very first day of school they will be asked to list their favorite activities of the summer and no longer are these lists filled with things like finding wood to make a bridge over a creek or a day spent in imaginative play with their siblings. The lists are now full of trips, overscheduled days and “camps” that no longer offer a stay in nature.

Our children have become used to being entertained every minute. In our house, we have limits on electronics and kick the kids outside on a nice day. Even as we try as parents to set limits and get our children out in nature, the new cry of childhood seems to be “I’m bored,” which is not really just meaning “I’m bored,” “but “Please find something to entertain me, as I no longer can entertain myself even for a short period of time.” Our children no longer know how to sit in silence, entertain themselves while even waiting for a few minutes and have lost the awe of nature as they have become addicted to screen time.

We have made a choice in this household to do what is no longer expected of children in many households—we will ensure that there are days of “boredom.” We refuse to spend our days scheduling our children’s every hour. There will be many days with no plans at all, when they will be sent outside with only the grass and the trees and their own imaginations to entertain them.

The screens will be turned off and our children will find that times of quiet can be just as or even more entertaining. They will bond with their brother and sister, making memories that they will replay in their minds well into adulthood. Even though sunscreen will be religiously applied, they will leave summer with sunburned and scratches coming from climbing trees, stomping through creeks and chasing the dog in the field.

This summer I will be giving my children the greatest gift of all—boredom. For inside boredom is the gift of getting to know your own mind, of finding comfort and joy in nature and in the realization that the greatest gifts are experience, not things.

1.From the first two paragraphs we can know that the author　　　　　　　　 .

A. participated in many organized activities

B. enjoyed an unscheduled vacation

C. explored magical forests and a violent river

D. realized the strength of patience

2.The author thinks today’s children’s activities are　　　　　　　　 .

A. less meaningful

B. less accessible

C. more related to nature

D. more in line with the nature of play

3.What is the real reason for children’s feeling of boredom?

A. Children are addicted to screen time.

B. Children are limited to using electronics.

C. Children have no patience with everything.

D. Children lack the experience of exploring entertainment.

4.What is the author’s attitude towards his children’s childhood?

A. Sympathetic.

B. Envious.

C. Unsatisfactory.

D. Indifferent.

5.What is he author’s purpose to ensure children the days of “boredom”?

A. To keep children away from electronics.

B. To encourage children to climb trees and stomp through creeks.

C. To set aside more time to improve their academic performance.

D. To provide children with the opportunity to seek happiness in nature.

6.What might be the best title of the passage?

A. The gift of boredom

B. The memory of childhood

C. The attraction of nature

D. The experience of two generations

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析