You’ve probably heard of Marco Polo, but how ...

You’ve probably heard of Marco Polo, but how much do you actually know about him and his incredible journey? Marco was the original travel writer, whose trade contacts with Asia changed Europe, opening it up to new ideas and cultures.

Marco Polo was born in the Venetian Republic around 1254．At the time, Venice was one of the most powerful trading cities in the world, and was ruled as an independent city state．Marco’s mother died when he was young, so he was brought up by his aunt and uncle．When Marco was born, his brother (Maffeo) and father (Niccolo), who were successful merchants, were away on a trading voyage．They didn’t get back until Marco was about 15.

In 1271, Niccolo and Maffeo set off again for Asia, this time taking Marco with them．On a previous journey they’d met Kublai Khan (the Yuan Dynasty), and they were keen to establish trade links between Kublai’s empire and Venice．The Polos sailed across the Mediterranean to Acre (now in northern Israel)．Then, they traveled by camel to the port of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf．Their plan was to sail to China but they couldn’t find any good boats．So, they continued the journey overland, finally meeting Kublai Khan at his summer palace in Xanadu, about 275 kms north of modern Beijing．Marco was now probably 21 years ol

The journey had taken over three years.

The Polos had learnt a great deal about the world during their travels and so Kublai employed Marco as a government official．This gave Marco the opportunity to travel around much of Kublai’s empire in China．In fact, Kublai found the Polos so useful that he was unwilling to let them return home．However, in 1292, the Polos eventually left, sailing from China and ending up in Hormuz again．The journey was extremely dangerous: of the 600 travelers who set off, only 18 arrived in Hormuz, including all three of the Polo family．

The Polos finally returned to Venice in 1295, twenty-four years after setting off．They had traveled 24,000 kms．By this time Venice was at war with Genoa, its trade rival．Unfortunately for Marco, he was captured by the Genoese and imprisione

However, he used his time as a prisoner to write a book about his family’s travels: II Milione (known as The Travels of Marco Polo in English)．It was the first book to tell Europeans about China and the East．No original copy survives, but there are several versions of it．Marco’s writings influenced many other travelers, most notably Christopher Columbus, who carried a copy of II Milione with him on his voyage in search of Asia.

After his release from prison in 1299, Marco rejoined his father and uncle in Venice．The family were now even wealthier than before thanks to the many treasures they’d brought back from the East．Marco financed many more trading journeys but never left the city again．He died in 1324 and was buried in the church of San Lorenzo in Venice．

1.What is the correct order of what Marco Polo has done?

a.met Kublai Khan in Xanadu

b.sailed across the Mediterranean

c.sailed for Hormuz

d.left Venice for Asia

e.went to Hormuz by camel

f.employed as a government official in China

A．b-c-d-f-a-c

B．d-c-b-a-f-e

C．b-d-c-f-a-e

D．d-b-e-a-f-c

2.The last paragraph but one mainly tells us something about _____.

A．Marco’s life in Genoa

B．Marco’s book II Milione

C．Marco’s influence on Columbus

D．Marco’s safe return to Venice

3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Soon after his mother’s death, Marco was raised by his father.

B．Marco spent about six years on the way to China and back to Venice.

C．Marco died at the age of 70 in the church of San Lorenzo in Venice.

D．Marco was born into a very poor family but died in wealth．

4.The passage is most probably taken from _____．

A．a newspaper

B．a geography book

C．a history book

D．a traveler’s guide

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

You probably have heard of many famous people like Marie Curie, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?

Jane Addams(1860-1935)

Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addans helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need . In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Rachel Carson(1907-1964)

If it weren't for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world's lakes and oceans.

Sandra Day O'Connor(1930-present)

When Sandra Day O'Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator(参议员) and ,in 1981, the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court. O'Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.

Rosa Parks(1913-2005)

On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rasa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott. It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. "The only tired I was, was tired of giving in," said Parks.

1.What is Jane Addams noted for in history?

A. Her social work. B. Her lack of proper training in law.

C. Her efforts to win a prize. D. Her community background.

2.What is the reason for O'Connor's being rejected by the law firm?

A. Her lack of proper training in law.　　　  B. Her little work experience in court.

C. The discrimination against women. D. The poor financial conditions.

3.Who made a great contribution to the civil-rights movement in the US?

A. Jane Addams. B. Rachel Carson.

C. Sandra Day O'Connor D. Rosa Parks.

4.What can we infer about the women mentioned in the text?

A. They are highly educated. B. They are pioneers.

C. They are peace-lovers. D. They are truly creative.

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?

Jane Addams (1860-1935)

Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community(社区) by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American women to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Rachel Carson (1907-1964)

If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exit today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers f pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.

Sandra Day O’Connor(1930-present)

When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Standford Law School in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona State Senator(参议员) and in 1981, the first woman to join the US Supreme Court（高等法院）. O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.

Rosa Parks (1913-2005)

On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks would not give up her seat to a white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison, But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott. (抵制行动) It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movements.“the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” said Parks.

1.What is Jane Addams famous for in history?

A. Her social work B. Her teaching skills

C. Her efforts to win a prize D. Her background

2.What was the reason for O’Connor’s being refused by the law firm?

A. Her lack of the training in law. B. Her little work experience in court

C. An unfair treatment to the women D. the poor financial conditions

3.Who made a great contribution to the civil rights movement in the US?

A. Jane Addams B. Rachel Carson

C. Sandra Day O’Connor D. Rosa Parks

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?

Jane Addams(1860～1935)

Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community(社区)by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Rachel Carson(1907～1964)

If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.

Sandra Day O’Connor(1930～present)

When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator(参议员) and, in 1981, the first woman to join the U. S. Supreme Court. O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.

Rosa Parks(1913～2005)

On December 1,1955，in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott. It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil—rights movement. “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in,” said Parks.

1.What is Jane Addams noted for in history?

A. Her social work.　　 B. Her teaching skills.

C. Her efforts to win a prize.　　 D. Her community background.

2.What was the reason for 0’Connor’s being rejected by the law firm?

A. Her lack of proper training in law.　　 B. Her little work experience in court.

C. The discrimination against women.　　 D. The poor financial conditions.

3.Who made a great contribution to the civil—rights movement in the U. S.?

A. Jane Addams.　　 B. Rachel Carson.　　 C. Sandra Day O’Connor.　　 D. Rosa Parks.

4.What can we infer about the women mentioned in the text?

A. They are highly educated.　　 B. They are truly creative.

C. They are pioneers.　　 D. They are Peace—lovers.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

You probably know who Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is, but you may not have heard of Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell if you are not interested in foreign literature. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who is your favorite?

Jane Austen (16 December, 1775-18 July, 1817)

Jane Austen, a famous English writer, was born at Steventon, Hampshire. She began writing early in life, although the prejudices (偏见) of her times forced her to have her books published anonymously (匿名).

She wrote many books of romantic fiction about the gentry (贵族). Her works made her one of the great masters of the English novel. Only four of her novels were printed while she was alive. They were Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and (1816).

Charlotte Bronte (21 April, 1816-31 March, 1855)

She first published her works, including Jane Eyre, under the false name of Currer Bell. Her first novel, The Professor, was rejected by many publishers. It was not printed until 1857. She is famous for her novel Jane Eyre (1847), which was very popular when it was printed. Jane Eyre was a strong story of a plain, brave, clever woman struggling with her passions, reasons, and social condition.

Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell (8 November, 1900-16 August, 1949)

She was an American author and journalist, a lifelong resident and native of Atlanta, Georgia. One novel by Mitchell was published during her lifetime, the American Civil-War-Era novel, Gone with the wind, for which she won the National Book Award for Most Distinguished Novel of 1936 and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1937. In more recent years, a collection of Mitchell’s girlhood writings and a novel she wrote as a teenager, Lost Laysen, have been published. A collection of articles written by Mitchell for The Atlanta Journal was republished in book form.

1.Why did Jane Austen publish her books with a false name?

A. She lacked confidence.　　 B. She was not well educated.

C. Women were discriminated.　　 D. Women were well protected.

2.Which novel was set in the background of war?

A. Sense and Sensibility.　　 B. Gone with the Wind.

C. Lost Laysen.　　 D. The Professor.

3.Who won the most prizes for her works?

A. Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell.　　 B. Charlotte Bronte.

C. Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton.　　 D. Jane Austen.

4.What can we infer about the women mentioned in the text?

A. They were all fond of poetry.　　 B. They all died in their forties.

C. Their works were once rejected.　　 D. They are famous for their great works.

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Burglars are probably the most unpopular visitors to your house. But how do you know if your home is an easy target for burglars(窃贼)? Around the holidays, many families don’t consider taking proper 　　 to prevent their homes from suffering holiday thefts. With just a few simple 　　 , you can better make sure of the 　　 of your home during all of the holiday celebrations. Here are a few tips for making it difficult to 　　 you are away from home.

Either have a trusted neighbor 　　 your mail and newspapers, or tell your mailman to hold your mail until you 　　 . Make sure 　　 says “Hey, we’re not home!” like when your post-box is filled with all kinds of mail and you have many different newspapers in your driveway.　　 several different lights in your house on random timers. Do not leave your 　　 lights on all the time. 　　 , put your outside lights on timers to be on only during the 　　 . If an outdoor light　　 on for days at a time, it means that nobody is home to turn it off.

If you have pets that you are not taking with you on vacation,　　 them with a friend,　　 having someone coming into your house every day to take care of them. When burglars see a neighbor or friend　 35　 your house every day, they will know you are not home.

Close all your 　　 when you leave town. This is effective to　　 possible burglars, as no one can see what is in your house. If they don’t know what there is to take, then the　　　 is even greater for them to break in.

This article just has suggested a few tips to help you keep your house safe while you are on　　 . Nothing can truly protect your home unless you have it　　 by a professional home security system.

1.A. qualifications　 B. measures　　 C. issues　　　　 D. patterns

2.A. steps　　　　　　　 B. paces　　　　 C. words　　　　 D. manners

3.A. safety　　　　　　 B. tidiness　　 C. attraction D. structure

4.A. say　　　　　　　　 B. tell　　　　　 C. speak　　　 D. predict

5.A. pull up　　　　　　 B. take up　　 C. pick up　　 D. bring up

6.A. exist　　　　　　　 B. escape　　　 C. disappear D. return

7.A. everything　　　 B. something　　 C. anything　 D. nothing

8.A. Choose　　　　　　 B. Give　　　　 C. Set　　　　　 D. Make

9.A. outdoor　　　　　 B. indoor　　 C. inside　　　　 D. kitchen

10.A. Therefore　　　 B. However　　 C. Instead　　 D. Again

11.A. days　　　　　　 B. weekends　　 C. weekdays D. nights

12.A. repeats　　　　　 B. remains　　 C. lasts　　 D. happens

13.A. find　　　　　　　 B. turn　　　　 C. leave　　 D. hold

14.A. other than　　 B. rather than　 C. or rather　 D. or else

15.A. cleaning　　　 B. protecting　 C. evaluating　 D. entering

16.A. windows　　　　 B. doors　　　　　 C. curtains　　 D. eyes

17.A. improve　　　　 B. discourage　　 C. inspire　　 D. frighten

18.A. chance　　　　 B. desire　　　　　 C. reward　　 D. risk

19.A. holiday　　　　 B. board　　　　 C. duty　　　　 D. trip

20.A. monitored　　 B. guided　　　　 C. strengthened　 D. collected

高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

— How many of them do you want to act in the play?

—_______ , and still a large number needed!

A．All                      B．Both                 C．Neither                D．None

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

______ is not how much you do but what you do that matters.

A. What                B. It                      C. That                 D. There

高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

_________ is not how much you do but what you do that matters.

A. This 　      B. It               That　      D. There

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

The Lifecycle of a T-shirt

We all probably have a lot of T-shirts, but do you ever stop and think about the influence of a T-shirt on the planet? You’d probably be surprised to learn what's involved in the lifecycle of just one T-shirt.

There are 5 major stages: material, production, shipping, use and disposal. The material stage involves farming, irrigating, fertilizing, harvesting and ginning. While cotton is a natural fiber and not as harmful to the environment as manmade fibers, it still takes a toll in the material and production stages. Commercial cotton farming uses a large amount of water, and the use of pesticides (杀虫剂) is widespread across the globe, especially in cotton farming. Studies have shown that farmers spend around $4.1 billion on pesticides annually, of which 25% was spent on cotton crops in the US.

Once the cotton is grown and harvested, so begins the production stage: spinning, knitting, bleaching, dyeing, cutting, sewing, etc.——these processes also use a great deal of water and energy. Commercial dyes and bleaches are harmful pollutants and can eventually pollute groundwater.

After the T-shirt is produced, it enters the transportation stage. This often involves overseas shipping. Take a look in your closet. Chances are that most of your cotton garments (衣服) are made in China or India. Garments can be shipped via plane, ship or truck…, all of which spill CO2 into the atmosphere. Calculations show that CO2 emissions from light trucks alone amount to 1.15 pounds per mile.

Once the T-shirt reaches the retail market, it is purchased. This stage may seem like the least environmentally damaging part. But consider the number of times you’ve washed and dried your favorite T-shirt. Washing machines are certainly becoming more efficient. However, the average American household does 400 loads of laundry per year, using about 40 gallons of water per load. Such excessive water use is combined with the large amount of energy used by dryers.

The final stage of life is disposal. This releases harmful emissions, or involves a landfill where cotton takes years to break down. Current US records show that an estimated 15% of clothes and shoes are recycled, which means that consumers send a shocking 85% of these materials to landfills.

We all need new clothes every once in a while, but let’s all try to keep in mind what goes into the production of clothing... It has a real impact on the planet.

There are a lot of things you can do to help reduce your impact. Reuse and recycle clothes. If they’re too worn out to wear, cut them up and use them as cleaning rags. Donate them to charity or another organization that recycles textiles. When possible, make an effort to buy organic cotton. Turn down the thermostat on your washer, and line dry your clothes when the weather will allow it.

1.What can be inferred from this passage?

A. The production process may affect water safety.

B. The clothing cost is relatively low in China and India.

C. Cotton clothes are buried because they are hard to break down.

D. The use stage is the least environmentally harmful of the five stages.

2.We can learn from the passage that in the US, ________.

A. pesticides in cotton farming cost over 4 billion dollars every year

B. CO2 emissions of land transport amount to 1.15 pounds per mile

C. about 15% of the clothes and shoes are made of materials that are recycled

D. about 16, 000 gallons of water is used annually by an average family on laundry

3.The underlined phrase “takes a toll” probably means “________”

A. wastes water　　 B. has a bad effect　　 C. uses energy　　 D. takes a lot of time

4.What is the purpose of this article?

A. To encourage people to donate clothes to charity.

B. To introduce the five stages in the lifecycle of clothing.

C. To persuade people to purchase more organic cotton.

D. To promote eco-friendly actions related to clothes.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析