A mother’s love
I’M a New York City firefighter. Every day, I see terror — sometimes even death. But the day I found Scarlett was different. That day I saw life. And love.
We were responding to a call about a burning garage. Outside, I heard the sound of cats crying. I couldn’t stop — I would have to look for the cats after the fire was put out.
It took a long time to finally bring the big fire under control, but we did it. No one inside was hurt.
At that point I was free to investigate the cat noises. There was still a lot of smoke and heat coming from the building. I followed the meowing(猫叫) to a spot on the sidewalk near the front of the garage. There, crying and huddled(挤作一团) together, were five terrified kittens. They must have been inside the building, as their fur was badly singed(烫烧).
I left the five kittens in a box on a neighbor’s porch(门廊).
I wanted to find the mother. It was obvious that she had gone into the burning garage and carried out all of her babies, one by one — unbelievable.
We finally found her. She was badly burnt: her eyes were blistered (起水泡), her paws(爪子) were blackened, and her fur was singed all over. You could even see her reddened skin beneath the burned fur. She could barely move. I picked her up, and she relaxed in my arms as much as her pain would allow. Sensing her trust, I shed a tear. I was determined to save this brave little cat and her family.
The vet told me they would observe the kittens and their mother overnight, but they weren’t optimistic about the mother’s changes.
About a week later, I found out she was going to live. One of the technicians suggested we name her Scarlett, because of her reddened skin.
Knowing what Scarlett endured(忍受) for her kittens, it melted my heart to see her reunited with them. She touched each of them again, nose to nose, to make sure they were all safe. She had risked her life five separate times — and it had paid off. All of her babies had survived.
As a firefighter, I see heroism(英雄事迹) every day. But what Scarlett showed me that day was the kind of bravery that can only come from a mother’s love.
1.Which of the following is TRUE according to the article?
A. The author went to rescue the cats as soon as he heard them crying.
B. The firefighters put out the big fire quickly and no one was hurt.
C. The mother cat moved all of her five babies to a safer place despite the fire.
D. The author didn’t find the cats until the smoke and heat were gone.
2.Why was the author determined to save the cats?
A. He refused to watch someone else die in his work.
B. He was impressed by the mother’s strong love and courage.
C. The cat’s story had made many people concerned.
D. It had taken much time and effort for him to save them.
3.Which best describes the author’s tone in the article?
A. Objective. B. Admiring. C. Excited. D. Optimistic.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
A mother’s love
I’M a New York City firefighter. Every day, I see terror — sometimes even death. But the day I found Scarlett was different. That day I saw life. And love.
We were responding to a call about a burning garage. Outside, I heard the sound of cats crying. I couldn’t stop — I would have to look for the cats after the fire was put out.
It took a long time to finally bring the big fire under control, but we did it. No one inside was hurt.
At that point I was free to investigate the cat noises. There was still a lot of smoke and heat coming from the building. I followed the meowing(猫叫) to a spot on the sidewalk near the front of the garage. There, crying and huddled(挤作一团) together, were five terrified kittens. They must have been inside the building, as their fur was badly singed(烫烧).
I left the five kittens in a box on a neighbor’s porch(门廊).
I wanted to find the mother. It was obvious that she had gone into the burning garage and carried out all of her babies, one by one — unbelievable.
We finally found her. She was badly burnt: her eyes were blistered (起水泡), her paws(爪子) were blackened, and her fur was singed all over. You could even see her reddened skin beneath the burned fur. She could barely move. I picked her up, and she relaxed in my arms as much as her pain would allow. Sensing her trust, I shed a tear. I was determined to save this brave little cat and her family.
The vet told me they would observe the kittens and their mother overnight, but they weren’t optimistic about the mother’s changes.
About a week later, I found out she was going to live. One of the technicians suggested we name her Scarlett, because of her reddened skin.
Knowing what Scarlett endured(忍受) for her kittens, it melted my heart to see her reunited with them. She touched each of them again, nose to nose, to make sure they were all safe. She had risked her life five separate times — and it had paid off. All of her babies had survived.
As a firefighter, I see heroism(英雄事迹) every day. But what Scarlett showed me that day was the kind of bravery that can only come from a mother’s love.
1.Which of the following is TRUE according to the article?
A. The author went to rescue the cats as soon as he heard them crying.
B. The firefighters put out the big fire quickly and no one was hurt.
C. The mother cat moved all of her five babies to a safer place despite the fire.
D. The author didn’t find the cats until the smoke and heat were gone.
2.Why was the author determined to save the cats?
A. He refused to watch someone else die in his work.
B. He was impressed by the mother’s strong love and courage.
C. The cat’s story had made many people concerned.
D. It had taken much time and effort for him to save them.
3.Which best describes the author’s tone in the article?
A. Objective. B. Admiring. C. Excited. D. Optimistic.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
New York City is a world capital in every sense of the word—it's a cultural and economic powerhouse, and arguably the most influential city on the planet. But it wasn't always this way, as the following cities once dominated the world around them.
DjenneDjenno
In the flood lands of the Niger delta people have been building houses and other structures with clay for centuries. The town of DjenneDjenno is made entirely out of clay. It was inhabited as far back as 250 BC, and became an important link in the transSaharan gold trade(跨撒哈拉黄金交易). Constructed on hills called “toguere”， the city managed to escape the marshy(沼泽的) landscape and annual floods produced by the rainy season. DjenneDjenno is believed to be one of the earliest settlements in the subSaharan region, and is considered by some to be “the typical African City”.
Archeological evidence shows us a continuous human presence in the area up until the 14th century AD, when people moved to the nearby town of Djenne, founded in the 11th century. Further evidence points out that even before the city's construction, the Bozo people were growing wild rice in the region. In the 13th century AD, with King Koumboro's conversion to Islam, its palace transformed into a mosque.
Carthage
Legend has it that Carthage was founded by Queen Dido of the Phoenicians. She fled the city of Tyre located in presentday Lebanon in order to escape the hatred of her brother Pygmalion, who was her rival to the throne. Along with a group of settlers, she traveled a great distance by sea and landed in North Africa, where she met King Iarbas. He offered to give them land in order to build a settlement, but no bigger than the surface covered by the hide(牛皮) of an ox. They cleverly cut the hide into thin strips and were able to enclose a fairly large area of land. On this land, the mighty city of Carthage was built.
These stories are most likely just that, but the fact that the Phoenicians built the city around 760 BC is true. Located in such a good position—in the middle of the Mediterranean, close to Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica, and a pretty good distance from Egypt—helped make Carthage a leading trade center and military power. The population soon reached half a million citizens and, in order to house them all, buildings were all built five or six stories tall. Carthage was the first city in ancient times to have a centralized sewage system, linking all buildings within the city walls. The most notable of structures among the ruins was the “Thophet”， which is believed to be an altar(圣坛) for child sacrifice.
Tenochtitlan
Tenochtitlan was the capital city of the Aztec Empire. It was built on an island surrounded by Lake Texcoco deep inside the jungles of Central America. By the time the Spanish conquerors were aware of its existence, the population was around 200，000. This was a city very different from what the Europeans were used to. Founded in 1325 AD, the Aztec capital was joined to the mainland by three causeways(堤道). It was laid out in straight street grids and had enormous pyramids at its center, which were surrounded by the skulls of the dead and ceremonial sculptures.
1.What do we know about the ancient cities?
A. Tenochtitlan was the first city to link all buildings within the city walls using a centralized sewage system.
B. Carthage was considered to have played an important role in the transSaharan gold trade.
C. There was no doubt that Carthage was founded by Queen Dido of the Phoenicians.
D. According to some people, the city DjenneDjenno is “a typical African city”.
2.The passage is most probably taken from ________.
A. a news report B. a science fiction C. a history book D. a research paper
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where does the woman’s mother live?
A.In Madrid. B.In Mexico City. C.In New York.
2.What do the speakers plan to do on November 2nd?
A.Travel to Madrid B.Visit some friends. C.Attend a holiday event.
3.When will the speakers leave New York?
A.On October 22nd. B.On October 28th. C.On November 2nd.
高三英语长对话中等难度题查看答案及解析
On her first day in New York City, teaching students from low-income families at an after-school program, Alyssa Kapasi noticed so many kids were lining up for free sandwiches and fruit in the cafeteria. Many of these poor students don’t get enough food to eat at home, so a free school lunch or a free after-school meal might be the most food they would get all day.
Kapasi, who graduated from private school, was shocked. Therefore, she was determined to help. “I want other kids to understand that if they meet a problem, they don’t have to wait to be an adult to salve it,” says Kapasi. She and a group of friends are now putting their programming skills ta work to create an app called Food for Thought, which will allow parents, students and even kind-hearted strangers to donate to a lunch account for a student in need at a nearby school.
About 20 million American kids receive free lunches. Two million more quality for reduced-price meals, and those students’ families may pay for part of their food. When they don’t have the money on any day. the students might have to choose an “alternative meal” such as a free cheese sandwich.
One clever feature of the app which is being supported by donation from companies and social investors—is that it provides anonymity (匿名) to lunch recipients and donors. To receive financial help, a family will need only a recommendation from a school administrator, and no one else knows.
“I want to make the application a platform where all users feel no shame in using it,” says Kapasi. She hopes to test the app in a school district next month. And then, she will devote herself to charity.
1.Why did so many students have to eat school food according to paragraph 1?
A. The food was cheap. B. They preferred to eat in the cafeteria.
C. The food was very delicious. D. They lacked food at home.
2.What is the function of the app?
A. Selling food to the student. B. Allowing people to help poor students.
C. Communicating well with students parents. D. Helping students study well.
3.What is special about the app?
A. It is attractive and fun. B. It is convenient to apply.
C. It manages users’ information secretly. D. It can tell who is badly in need of food.
4.What can we learn about the app?
A. It has been abandoned half way. B. It is being created by a student.
C. It is about to be put into practice. D. It is being used in a school district.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Today is National Bike-to-Work Day. And on New York City’s jammed streets, people are cycling on hundreds of miles of new bike lanes. But New York’s widespread efforts to make streets safer for bikes have also left some locals complaining about the loss of parking spots and lanes for cars.
When the weather is good, Aaron Naparstek likes to pedal（用踏板踩）his two young kids to school on a special Dutch-made bicycle. Naparstek supports the new lane.
Aaron: The bike lane on Prospect Park West is really introducing a lot of new people to the idea that it’s possible to use a bike in New York City for transportation or to travel around. This is what 21st century New York City looks like.
Prospect Park West is still a one-way road, but where it used to have three lanes of car traffic, now it has two, plus a protected bike lane. Supporters say that makes the road safer for everyone, including pedestrians, by slowing down cars and taking bikes off the sidewalk. But some longtime residents disagree. Lois Carswell is president of a group called Seniors for Safety. She says the two-way bike lane is dangerous to older residents who are used to one-way traffic.
Lois: We wanted a lane — the right kind of lane that would keep everybody safe, that would keep the bikers safe. But we want it to be done the right way. And it has not been done the right way.
Craig Palmer builds bars and restaurants in Manhattan. I was interviewing him for a different story when he brought up the bike lanes all on his own.
Craig: I think the biggest problem is that Bloomberg put all these bike lanes in. You took what used to be a full street and you’re shrinking it.
Then there are the Hasidic Jews in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, who forced the city to remove a bike lane through their neighborhood. But polls show that the majority of New Yorkers support bike lanes by a margin of 56% to 39%. Bicycle advocate Caroline Samponaro of Transportation Alternatives calls that a mandate.
Caroline: If this was an election, we would have already had our victory. The public has spoken and they keep speaking. And I think, more importantly, the public is starting to vote with their pedals.
1.What does Aaron mean by saying “This is what 21st century New York City looks like.”?
A．There are hundreds of miles of new bike lanes in 21 st century New York City.
B．Drivers slow down their cars and bikes are taken off the sidewalk in New York.
C．Bikes are used as a means of transport in 21 st century New York City.
D．It’s possible to make the streets safe for pedestrians in New York.
2.According to the passage, which of the following CANNOT support the opponents of these new bike lanes?
A．Drivers lose parking spots and lanes for cars.
B．The two-way bike lane is dangerous to older residents.
C．We took what used to be a full street so the road is broader than before.
D．The removal of one bike lane through a neighbourhood in Brooklyn was not supported by the majority of New Yorkers.
3.“A mandate” in Paragraph 8 was referred to a demand or command from ______.
A．the authority B．the public C．the supporters D．the government
4.What of the following might be the best title of the passage?
A．Ride on National Bike-to-Work Day B．A New Bike Lane Appears in New York
C．A Bike Lane Divides New Yorkers D．Who Wins an Election
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Today is National Bike-to-Work Day. And on New York City’s jammed streets, people are cycling on hundreds of miles of new bike lanes. But New York’s widespread efforts to make streets safer for bikes have also left some locals complaining about the loss of parking spots and lanes for cars.
When the weather is good, Aaron Naparstek likes to pedal（用踏板踩）his two young kids to school on a special Dutch-made bicycle. Naparstek supports the new lane.
Aaron: The bike lane on Prospect Park West is really introducing a lot of new people to the idea that it’s possible to use a bike in New York City for transportation or to travel around. This is what 21st century New York City looks like.
Prospect Park West is still a one-way road, but where it used to have three lanes of car traffic, now it has two, plus a protected bike lane. Supporters say that makes the road safer for everyone, including pedestrians, by slowing down cars and taking bikes off the sidewalk. But some longtime residents disagree. Lois Carswell is president of a group called Seniors for Safety. She says the two-way bike lane is dangerous to older residents who are used to one-way traffic.
Lois: We wanted a lane — the right kind of lane that would keep everybody safe, that would keep the bikers safe. But we want it to be done the right way. And it has not been done the right way.
Craig Palmer builds bars and restaurants in Manhattan. I was interviewing him for a different story when he brought up the bike lanes all on his own.
Craig: I think the biggest problem is that Bloomberg put all these bike lanes in. You took what used to be a full street and you’re shrinking it.
Then there are the Hasidic Jews in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, who forced the city to remove a bike lane through their neighborhood. But polls show that the majority of New Yorkers support bike lanes by a margin of 56% to 39%. Bicycle advocate Caroline Samponaro of Transportation Alternatives calls that a mandate.
Caroline: If this was an election, we would have already had our victory. The public has spoken and they keep speaking. And I think, more importantly, the public is starting to vote with their pedals.
1.What does Aaron mean by saying “This is what 21st century New York City looks like.”?
A. There are hundreds of miles of new bike lanes in 21 st century New York City.
B. Drivers slow down their cars and bikes are taken off the sidewalk in New York.
C. Bikes are used as a means of transport in 21 st century New York City.
D. It’s possible to make the streets safe for pedestrians in New York.
2.According to the passage, which of the following CANNOT support the opponents of these new bike lanes?
A. Drivers lose parking spots and lanes for cars.
B. The two-way bike lane is dangerous to older residents.
C. We took what used to be a full street so the road is broader than before.
D. The removal of one bike lane through a neighbourhood in Brooklyn was not supported.
3.“A mandate” in Paragraph 8 was referred to a demand or command from ___________.
A. the authority B. the public
C. the supporters D. the government
4.What of the following might be the best title of the passage?
A. Ride on National Bike-to-Work Day
B. A New Bike Lane Appears in New York
C. A Bike Lane Divides New Yorkers
D. Who Wins an Election
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Today is National Bike-to-Work Day. And on New York City’s jammed streets, people are cycling on hundreds of miles of new bike lanes. But New York’s widespread efforts to make streets safer for bikes have also left some locals complaining about the loss of parking spots and lanes for cars.
When the weather is good, Aaron Naparstek likes to pedal（用踏板踩）his two young kids to school on a special Dutch-made bicycle. Naparstek supports the new lane.
Aaron: The bike lane on Prospect Park West is really introducing a lot of new people to the idea that it’s possible to use a bike in New York City for transportation or to travel around. This is what 21st century New York City looks like.
Prospect Park West is still a one-way road, but where it used to have three lanes of car traffic, now it has two, plus a protected bike lane. Supporters say that makes the road safer for everyone, including pedestrians, by slowing down cars and taking bikes off the sidewalk. But some longtime residents disagree. Lois Carswell is president of a group called Seniors for Safety. She says the two-way bike lane is dangerous to older residents who are used to one-way traffic.
Lois: We wanted a lane — the right kind of lane that would keep everybody safe, that would keep the bikers safe. But we want it to be done the right way. And it has not been done the right way.
Craig Palmer builds bars and restaurants in Manhattan. I was interviewing him for a different story when he brought up the bike lanes all on his own.
Craig: I think the biggest problem is that Bloomberg put all these bike lanes in. You took what used to be a full street and you’re shrinking it.
Then there are the Hasidic Jews in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, who forced the city to remove a bike lane through their neighborhood. But polls show that the majority of New Yorkers support bike lanes by a margin of 56% to 39%. Bicycle advocate Caroline Samponaro of Transportation Alternatives calls that a mandate.
Caroline: If this was an election, we would have already had our victory. The public has spoken and they keep speaking. And I think, more importantly, the public is starting to vote with their pedals.
1.What does Aaron mean by saying “This is what 21st century New York City looks like.”?
A. There are hundreds of miles of new bike lanes in 21 st century New York City.
B. Drivers slow down their cars and bikes are taken off the sidewalk in New York.
C. Bikes are used as a means of transport in 21 st century New York City.
D. It’s possible to make the streets safe for pedestrians in New York.
2.According to the passage, which of the following CANNOT support the opponents of these new bike lanes?
A. Drivers lose parking spots and lanes for cars.
B. The two-way bike lane is dangerous to older residents.
C. We took what used to be a full street so the road is broader than before.
D. The removal of one bike lane through a neighbourhood in Brooklyn was not supported by the majority of New Yorkers.
3.“A mandate” in Paragraph 8 was referred to a demand or command from _______.
A. the authority B. the public C. the supporters D. the government
4.What of the following might be the best title of the passage?
A. Ride on National Bike-to-Work Day
B. A New Bike Lane Appears in New York
C. A Bike Lane Divides New Yorkers
D. Who Wins an Election
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Some thirty years ago, I was studying in a public school in New York city. One day, Mrs Nanette O’Neill gave an arithmetic test to our class. When the papers were ______ she discovered that twelve boys had made exactly the same mistakes throughout the test.
There is nothing really new about ______ in exams. Perhaps that was why Mrs O’Neill ______ even say a word about it. She only asked the twelve boys to______ after class. I was one of the twelve.
Mrs O’Neill asked______ questions, and she didn’t______ us either. Instead she wrote on the blackboard the______ words by Thomas Macaulay. “The measure of a man’s real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out. ” She then ordered us to ______ these words one hundred times.
I don’t______ about the other eleven boys. Speaking for ______ I can say: it was the most important single______ of my life. Thirty years after being ______ to Macaulay’s words, they ______ seem to me the best yardstick( 准 绳 ), because they gave us a ______ to measure ourselves rather than others.
______ of us are asked to make ______ decisions about nations going to war or armies going to battle. But all of us are called ______ daily to make a great many personal decisions.
______ the wallet, found in the street, be put into a pocket or turned over to the policeman? Should the______ change received at the store be forgotten or returned? Nobody will know except you. But you have to live with yourself, and it is always ______ to live with someone you respect.
1.A.examined B.completed C.marked D.answered
2.A.lying B.cheating C.guessing D.discussing
3.A.didn’t B.did C.would D.wouldn’t
4.A.come B.leave C.remain D.apologize
5.A.many B.certain C.more D.no
6.A.excuse B.reject C.help D.scold
7.A.above B.common C.following D.unusual
8.A.repeat B.get C.copy D.put
9.A.worry B.know C.hear D.talk
10.A.myself B.ourselves C.themselves D.herself
11.A.chance B.incident C.lesson D.memory
12.A.referred B.showed C.brought D.introduced
13.A.even B.still C.always D.almost
14.A.way B.sentence C.choice D.reason
15.A.All B.None C.Few D.Some
16.A.quick B.wise C.great D.personal
17.A.out B.for C.up D.upon
18.A.Should B.Must C.Would D.Need
19.A.extra B.small C.some D.necessary
20.A.easier B.more natural C.better D.more peaceful
高三英语完形填空简单题查看答案及解析
When New York City was not very big, there was a market on the East River. On market day all the farmers came there to sell their vegetable, butter and eggs, and fruit. They laughed and talked together, so no one could hear the river that ran beside them.
But Hans ,the butterman , sat without a smile. He sold pounds of butter from a table beside him. Many people said that his butter wasn’t the right weight. They said that his rolls of butter didn’t weigh as much as a pound.
Once the weighmaster came walking down the road. He was looking for people who did not sell the full weight. Someone told him, ”Watch Hans, the butterman.”
Hans had good eyes. He saw the weighmaster and quickly put the piece of gold into the first roll of butter, between the butter and its cover.
A captain was standing beside Hans’s table, and he had seen Hans put the piece of gold into the roll. He stood at Hans’s side when the weighmaster came up to him.
“Good morning,” said the weighmaster.
“Good morning,” said Hans. “I think that you are looking for farmers who trick the people of our town.
“I’m,” said the weighmaster. “Someone told me that your rolls of butter don’t weigh a full pound.”
“Oh yes, they do. Here, Weighmaster. Here is a roll of butter. Weigh it yourself,” said Hans.
Hans took the first roll of butter and gave it to the weighmaster.
The weighmaster took his scales and put the butter onto it. The roll weighed more than a pound.
“I’ve made a mistake,” said the weighmaster. “You are an honest man. There is enough butter in this roll.”
Then the captain stood in front of Hans’s table. “You are an honest man, so I want to buy some of your butter,” he said. Before Hans could speak, the captain picked up the roll of butter with the piece of gold in it. “I’ll take this one.”
Hans’s heart began beating more quickly. “No, not that one. I’ve sold that one to a friend of mine. Take another one.”
“No, I want this one,” said the captain.
“I won’t sell it to you. I told you that I’ve sold it to a friend,” said Hans.
“Don’t make me angry. The weighmaster weighed this roll. Give your friend another one.”
“But I want to give him this one,” said Hans, who was now very uncomfortable.
“I ask you, good Weighmaster,” said the captain angrily, “don’t I have the right to choose the piece of butter that I want? I will pay good money for it.”
“Of course you have the right, Captain,” said the weighmaster. “What are you afraid of, Hans? Aren’t all the rolls of butter alike? Perhaps I have to weigh all of them.”
What could Hans say? What could he do? He had to smile and sell the butter to the captain. The captain gave Hans three cents for the butter.
The captain and the weighmaster walked away together.
“You punished the thief,” said the weighmaster.
“No, he punished himself,” said the captain, smile.
1.When Hans saw the weighmaster, he________.
A. stood up at once B. said hello to the weighmaster
C. put a piece of gold into a roll of butter quickly
D. gave the weighmaster a piece
2.After the weighmaster weighed the roll of butter that Hans gave, he________.
A. thought Hans was an honest man
B. wanted to weigh all the other rolls of butter
C. wanted to buy a roll of butter from Hans
D. thought Hans was foolish
3.The captain wanted to buy butter from Hans________.
A. because he knew Hans was an honest man
B. because he wanted to punish Hans
C. to get the piece of gold in the butter
D. because the butter weighed more than a pound
4.Hans didn't want to sell that roll of butter to the captain because ________.
A. he had sold it to someone else
B. he didn't like the captain
C. he didn't want to lose the piece of gold in it
D. it weighed more than a pound
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.On which day is there no train to New York City?
A. Saturday. B. Sunday. C. Monday.
2.Which train will the man take?
A. 10:30. B. 12:20. C. 15:10.
3.How much is a hard seat?
A. $15. B. $6. C. $8.
高三英语长对话中等难度题查看答案及解析