John George, 60, remembers that he lived a wo...

John George, 60, remembers that he lived a wonderful life in the Detroit neighborhood where he grew up. “We knew all our neighbors.” George told Detroit's Metro Times. “On Christmas Eve, we'd all go to midnight Mass, and there'd be 300 people in our house at one o’clock to about five in the morning. The folks were just really good, hardworking people. ”

By the'80s, however, the old neighborhood changed. Due in part to economic downturns and drug abuse, well -kept homes had been abandoned and kindly neighbors had fled to the suburbs(郊区). But not George. “Living in any city, it’s like being in a relationship,” he told Reader’s Digest. “Some days are better than others. But it was my home. And when I saw it becoming worse, I had two choices: I could leave, or I could stay and fight. I chose the latter.”

When the abandoned home behind his turned into a worn-out place, the father of two grabbed some boards and nails and began boarding up the house. After two neighbors stopped to ask what he was doing, they decided to help, with great results.

That's how it all got started. In the 30 years since that first home rescue, an army of approximately 182,000 volunteers, along with private donors, has helped George pull down around 300 abandoned homes, mainly in die poorer Northwest area of Detroit. They've also secured 400 - some homes by boarding them up. They've painted and repaired nearly 900 homes and built over 100 from scratch. According to Forbes, more than 1,000 Detroiters have been housed as a result of their work.

And there's Halloween. In Detroit, October 30 was known as Devil's Night, a period when all hell break loose in the form of crime and vandalism (破坏公物). In response, George created a citizens' patrol(巡逻)that would take to the streets, keeping an eye on illegal behavior. He named it Angels' Night What began with 12 neighbors on patrol in 1990 has grown to more than 60,000 citywide.

George's inspired ideas have not gone unnoticed by the city he loves. Others are buying into it. There's a trend of younger homeowners coming in.

1.What was George’s home city Detroit like before the ’80s?

A. Neighbors were nice and got along very well.

B. People in the suburbs led a wonderful life.

C. Economy declined because of drug abuse.

D. Many homes were abandoned and people lied.

2.What did George decide to do after his neighborhood changed?

A. Move to the suburbs. B. Leave his hometown.

C. Join his neighbors to help. D. Stay and fight to save his city.

3.What happened as a result of George and other volunteers' hard work?

A. More people moved into Detroit.

B. Almost all Detroiters were housed.

C. Over 100 homes were newly built.

D. There was no illegal behavior any more.

4.What does the story mainly intend to toll us?

A. Great minds think alike.

B. Two heads are better than one.

C. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

D. Little people can make a big difference.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

As John George remembers it, the Detroit neighborhood he grew up in was straight out of Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life. ''We knew all our neighbors,'' George, 60, told Detroit's Metro Times. ''On Christmas Eve, we'd all go to midnight Mass, and there would be 300 people in our house at one o'clock to about five in the morning. The folks were just really good, hardworking people. ''

By the 80s, however, the old neighborhood was more Pottersville than Bedford Falls. Due in part to economic downturns and a nationwide drug epidemic (泛滥), well-kept homes had been abandoned and kindly neighbors had fled to the suburbs. But not George. ''Living in any city, it's like being in a relationship,'' he told Reader's Digest. ''Some days are better than others. But it was my home. And when I saw it deteriorating, I had two choices: I could leave, or I could stay and fight. I decided to stay and fight. ''

When the abandoned home behind his turned into a crack den, the father of two grabbed some plywood and nails and began boarding up the house. After two neighbors stopped to ask what he was doing, they decided to help, with great results. ''When the drug dealers came back, they turned around and went home,'' says George. ''That's how it all got started. ''

''It'' is Detroit Blight Busters, or DBB, an organization of civic-minded volunteers devoted to reviving the city they love, one abandoned house, one vacant lot, and one garbage-strewn park at a time.

In the 30 years since that first home rescue, an army of approximately 182,000 volunteers, along with corporate and private donors, has helped George destroy around 300 abandoned homes, mostly in the poorer Northwest area of Detroit. They've also secured 400-some homes by boarding them up, thus keeping bad actors out. They've painted and renovated nearly 900 homes and built over 100 from scratch. According to Forbes, more than 1,000 Detroiters have been housed as a result of DBB's work.

''I'm half Lebanese, half Italian, and 100 percent Detroit stubborn, '' George told nationswell.com. ''Once we get something in our heart and in our head, it's almost autopilot. ''

But that was only the beginning. In 2003, George also breathed life into a dilapidated (破旧的) square mile of Detroit by turning it into Artist Village, an area now filled with galleries, a performance space, community gardens, a coffee shop, and outdoor courtyards. Because this region of North Detroit was a food desert, George also persuaded a supermarket chain to move into the neighborhood.

''Blight is like a cancer: If you don't set upon it, it will spread,'' George told thehubdetroit.com. And then there's Halloween. In Detroit, October 30 was ruefully known as Devil's Night, a period when all hell would break loose in the form of crime and vandalism. In response, George created a citizens' patrol (巡逻队) that would take to the streets, keeping an eye on suspicious behavior. He called it Angels’ Night. What began with 12 neighbors on patrol in 1990 has grown to more than 60,000 citywide.

George's inspired ideas have not gone unnoticed by the city he loves.''John wants to show that there is still something to Detroit. That it's still worth it,'' says real estate agent Robert LaBute. And others are buying into it.''We're seeing the trend of younger homeowners coming in.''

Is George proud of having boosted his once-ailing hometown? You'd better believe he is. As he puts it: ''We are on the front porch of the greatest urban comeback story in this nation’s history. ''

1.Why was John George reluctant to leave Detroit?

A.He wanted to save his city.

B.He enjoyed a wonderful life.

C.He stayed to fight against drugs.

D.He got along with his neighbors.

2.What was the result of the first home rescue?

A.An official organization was founded.

B.A voluntary movement began with it.

C.A better neighbor relationship was formed.

D.The drug dealers mended their ways at last.

3.The data provided in Paragraph 5 suggest that ______.

A.many people have been lifted out of poverty

B.many abandoned homes have been destroyed

C.DBB has done a lot to bring the city back to life

D.the number of the volunteers has been increasing

4.What did John George do to revive the city of Detroit ?

A.He transformed the city into an industrial area.

B.He created a citizen's patrol to prevent crimes.

C.He expanded investment in real estate business.

D.He built a supermarket chain in the neighborhood.

5.According to the passage, John George can be described as ______.

A.cautious and creative

B.stubborn and ambitious

C.proud and self-centered

D.strong-willed and inspiring

6.What's the best title for the passage?

A.The Life of a Hero

B.Detroit's Proud Tiger

C.The Power of Devotion

D.The Blooming of Detroit

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So 　 　　 that in spite of the rare disease, he managed to live as rich and full a life as we do.

A. optimistic and determined Marty was　　 B. was Marty optimistic and determined

C. Marty was optimistic and determined　　 D. optimistic and determined was Marty

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

When I handed the report to John，he said that George was the person ________.

A．to send　 B．for sending it

C．to send it to　 D．for sending it to

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

So _______that in spite of the rare disease, he managed to live as rich and full a life as we do.

A. optimistic and determined was Marty

B. was Marty optimistic and determined

C. Marty was optimistic and determined

D. optimistic and determined Marty was

高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

In life, people come across many experiences, which they remember throughout their lives. I had a similar experience, too.

I was very excited. It was the day of my last paper of the final examination. My mind was full of thoughts of how I would spend my vacation. I was especially excited of the invitation that my uncle had given me to stay with him for a few days in Cambridge.

I was prepared for the subject, physics. My friends and I were on the ground doing the last minute revisions and also discussing the questions that were supposed to come in the paper. Suddenly the bell rang and we got into our classrooms. The teacher came and quickly handed out the answer paper and the question paper. The paper was of two hours and some of the expected questions came. I finished it almost forty-five minutes earlier. But since it was a rule not to collect the answer paper before the allotted（规定的）time. the teacher was not collecting and I had to sit till the time was over. I checked my paper twice and corrected some of the mistakes in it. I started thinking about the place my friends and I had planned to go after the paper.

Though I was thinking for a long time, the time seemed to be endless. So I thought of drawing something on the question paper and turned it overleaf. I was shocked to see that the page which I had supposed to be blank had four more questions on it which carried 20 marks and would take at least half an hour to complete. I had a quick glance at my watch. There were only 10 minutes left. I was so nervous that I was hardly in a state to write anything. They were the sub-questions（小题）of the last question. Suddenly our physics teacher came in and told all of us that in the last question, out of 6 sub-questions only 2 had to be solved. I felt very much relieved.

Thereafter I never made such mistakes again. But I realized that my anxiousness and excitement could have cost me to lose 20 marks and decided never to make such a mistake again.

1.Which of the following statements is true?

2.The underlined word “relieved” means ________.

3.We can infer from the passage that _____________.

4.We can learn from the passage that we should _____________.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

I wondered why John kept it a secret. It was not until he 　　　　　　 three times that he told me the truth.

A. asked　　　 　　　 B. was asking

C. had asked　　　　 D. had been asked

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

I remember the first day when I saw Sally playing basketball.I watched in wonder as she struggled her way through the crowd of boys on the playground.She seemed so_____,but she managed to shoot jump shots just over their heads and into the net.The boys always tried to stop her______nobody could.

I began to notice Sally at other times,basketball in hand,playing_____.She practiced dribbling(运球) and______over and over.

One day I asked Sally why she______so much.Without a moment of hesitation she said,“I want to go to college.The only way I can go is to get a ____.I’m going to play college basketball and I want to be the best one.I believe that if I am______enough,I will get one.My father has told me that if the dream is big enough,the facts don’t ____.”

I _____her through those junior high years and into high school.Every week,she led her team to_____.One day in her senior year,I saw her sitting on the grass,her head______in her arms.Slowly and quietly,I____and sat down beside her.“What’s wrong?”I asked.“Oh,nothing,”came a soft reply,“I am just too short.”The______told her that at 165 cm she would probably never play for a top team—still less she would be______a scholarship—so she should stop dreaming about college.

I felt she was extremely_____.I asked her if she had talked to her dad about it yet.She told me that her father said those coaches were ____.They didn’t understand the ____ of a dream.

The next year,Sally was seen by a college basketball coach after a big game.She was____　 offered a scholarship and _____to the college team.She was going to get the college education that she had ____and worked toward for all those years.

It’s true:if the dream is big enough,the facts don’t count.

1.A. silent　　 B. small　　 C. strong　　 D. huge

2.A. but　　 B. and　　 C. so　　 D. for

3.A. still　　 B. again　　 C. well　　 D. alone

4.A. passing　　 B. running　　 C. shooting　　 D. struggling

5.A. studied　　 B. practiced　　 C. expected　　 D. improved

6.A. title　　 B. prize　　 C. scholarship　　 D. reward

7.A. good　　 B. brave　　 C. careful　　 D. active

8.A. lack　　 B. talk　　 C. appear　　 D. count

9.A. encouraged　　 B. respected　　 C. watched　　 D. helped

10.A. victory　　 B. confidence　　 C. responsibility　　 D. profession

11.A. dropped　　 B. buried　　 C. covered　　 D. sunk

12.A. walked off　　 B. walked out　　 C. walked around　　 D. walked up

13.A. coach　　 B. teacher　　 C. captain　　 D. leader

14.A. suggested　　 B. sent　　 C. promised　　 D. offered

15.A. worried　　 B. excited　　 C. disappointed　　 D. surprised

16.A. great　　 B. wrong　　 C. strict　　 D. cruel

17.A. pressure　　 B. value　　 C. cause　　 D. power

18.A. exactly　　 B. naturally　　 C. really　　 D. normally

19.A. taken　　 B. admitted　　 C. introduced　　 D. appointed

20.A. dreamed of　　 B. picked up　　 C. benefited from　　 D. carried out

高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Studies show that older people tend to remember the positive things in life rather than the negative things, while younger people remember the positive and negative equally well. The dominant psychological theory to explain this is that older people are aware of their limited time left, so they prioritize positive emotional experiences. But about a decade ago, I worked with biologist Robert Trivers on his idea that there was an evolutionary basis for older people’s increased positive outlook. Our research took us in the fascinating direction of exploring how the body uses its energy.

When our ancestors needed more energy than usual, perhaps while being chased by a tiger, they had to get that energy from somewhere in the body. Could they borrow it from the brain? That organ uses 20 percent of our metabolic (新陈代谢) output, whether we are solving math problems or watching television reruns. Due to this constant energy requirement, borrowing energy from the brain when our need surpasses the available supply is not an option. Perhaps we could borrow energy from our muscles. Because we use far more muscle energy when we are active than when at rest, in principle, we could borrow energy when we are sitting. But the problem is that most of the energy-demanding emergencies of our ancestors required a muscular response. There was no way to borrow energy from our muscles during an emergency because relaxing when a tiger showed up was not an effective response. This brings us to our immune system, which, when strong, protects us from many illnesses and diseases. Like the brain, the immune system works at great metabolic cost, but largely in the service of keeping us healthy in the future. We have an enormous number of immune cells coursing through our body, a momentary break from production is fine. So, when our body needs extra energy, one of the places it goes is our immune function. When you’re being chased by a tiger, you don’t need to waste energy making immune cells to fight off tomorrow’s cold. What you need is to shift all available energy resources to your legs, with the hope that you will live to experience another cough or sneeze.

As a result, our immune system evolved to run in maximum amounts when we’re happy, but to slow down dramatically when we’re not. With this background in mind, Trivers supposed that older people evolved a strategy of turning this relationship on its head, becoming more focused on the positive things in life in an effort to enhance their immune functioning. This was helped along by their knowing much more about the world than younger adults, so they can deal with some of the unpleasant things in life more easily.

1.According to Robert Trivers, when our body needs extra energy, ______.

A. muscles will respond to it by relaxing a little bit

B. organs will speed up metabolic processes to answer it

C. immune system will temporarily shut down to fulfill it

D. brain will satisfy it by sharing optional metabolic output

2.In paragraph 3 “this relationship” most probably refers to the one between ______.

A. experiences and related knowledge B. happiness and biological evolution

C. immune function and health D. optimism and length of life

3.What can be concluded from Robert Trivers’ study?

A. Younger people adopt strategies of handling tense situations from everyday life.

B. Our ancestors evolved their immune systems in fighting against fierce animals.

C. Realizing that their days are numbered, older people prefer being positive.

D. Being negative drains energy from our body, lowering resistance to disease.

4.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

A. Brain, muscles and immune system B. Age, health and happiness

C. Ancestors, emergency and evolution D. Energy, effort and response

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

I remember vividly the call that changed my life. It was Tuesday, February 18, when the 31rang in the kitchen of my Los Angeles home. On the 32  was Marty Bandera, a literary agent to whom I had sent a draft(草稿) of my novel three weeks earlier. “ I have a couple of 33 ,” Bandera said.

“First, how old are you?” “I’m 48,” I replied.

“Are you in good 34 ?” “Yes, excellent. What’s this about?”

“I’ve sold your novels 35 one and a half million dollars.”

I sat down in 36 . I had written over fourteen novels in twenty years, but each one had been 37 by the publishers. I suppose many people would have been 38 , but not me. Each time, I just 39 writing another one. My husband advised me to find something else to do, but I refused to 40 . Seeing this book 41 was the best thing that has ever happened to me. It’s a mystery story (like all the others) and it was on the best-seller 42 two weeks after publication!

I got my first lesson in story 43 from my grandmother. She used to read me stories. She was the one who gave me a 44 of words. She sparked(激发) my 45  and she has been a 46  influence on me. I always had stories running through my 47  and as soon as I could write I 48  them down on paper.

I married young and I have three children, but I never stopped writing, 49  novels between doing the diapers(婴儿的尿布) and dishes. I am writing another novel now. Yes, my 50 has changed my life。

高三英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析