Over the past century, all kinds of unfairness and discrimination(歧视) have been made illegal. But one popular form continues to exist, that is alphabetism (字母排序法). This, for those as yet unaware of such a disadvantage, refers to discrimination against those whose surnames (姓氏) begin with a letter in the lower half of the alphabet.
It has long been known that the cars of a taxi firm called AAAA have a big advantage over Zodiac cars when customers look through their phone directories. Less well known is the advantage that Adam Abbot has in life over Zoe Zysman. English names are fairly spread between the halves of the alphabet. Yet a quite large number of top people have surnames beginning with letters between A and K.
Thus the American presidents and vice-presidents have surnames starting with B and C separately and 26 of those before George Bush took office (including his father) had surnames in the first half of the alphabet against just 16 in the second half. Even more striking, six of the seven heads of government of the G7 rich countries are alphabetically advantaged (Berlusconi, Blair, Bush, Chirac, Chretien and Koizumi ). The world’s three top central bankers (Greenspan, Duisenberg and Hayami) are all close to the top of the alphabet, even if one of them really uses Japanese characters. The same case are the world’s five richest men (Gates, Buffet and so on).
Can this merely happen by chance? At the start of the first year in primary school, teachers seat pupils alphabetically from the front, to make it easier to remember their names. So shortsighted Zysman gets stuck in the back row, and is seldom asked the improving questions by those teachers. At that time the alphabetically disadvantaged may think they have had a lucky escape. Yet the result may be worse qualifications, because they get less attention, as well as less confidence in speaking publicly.
The unfairness continues. At university graduation parties, the ABCs proudly get their awards first. However, by the time they reach the Zysmans most people are a little tired. Lists of job interviews and conference speakers and attendees all tend to be drawn up alphabetically, and their readers lose interest as they plough through them.
1.What does the author intend to show with AAAA cars and Zodiac cars?
A. An example of competition of two kinds of cars. B. Some advantages of AAAA cars in the taxi firm.
C. An example of unfairness caused by alphabetism. D. Some disadvantages of Zodiac cars in the taxi firm.
2.What can we infer from the first three paragraphs?
A. The alphabet is to blame for the failure of Zoe Zysman.
B. In both East and West, names are important to success.
C. Customers often pay a lot of attention to companies’ names.
D. The discrimination in alphabetism can be found in many areas.
3.The fourth paragraph suggests that .
A. alphabetically disadvantaged students often escape from class
B. teachers should pay equal attention to all their students
C. questions are often put to the more intelligent students
D. students should be seated according to their eyesight
4.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. VIPs in the western world gain a great deal from alphabetism.
B. People with surnames beginning with N to Z are often ill – treated.
C. Putting things alphabetically may lead to unintentional unfairness.
D. The movement to get rid of alphabetism still has a long way to go.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Over the past century, all kinds of unfairness and discrimination(歧视) have been made illegal. But one popular form continues to exist, that is alphabetism (字母排序法). This, for those as yet unaware of such a disadvantage, refers to discrimination against those whose surnames (姓氏) begin with a letter in the lower half of the alphabet.
It has long been known that the cars of a taxi firm called AAAA have a big advantage over Zodiac cars when customers look through their phone directories. Less well known is the advantage that Adam Abbot has in life over Zoe Zysman. English names are fairly spread between the halves of the alphabet. Yet a quite large number of top people have surnames beginning with letters between A and K.
Thus the American presidents and vice-presidents have surnames starting with B and C separately and 26 of those before George Bush took office (including his father) had surnames in the first half of the alphabet against just 16 in the second half. Even more striking, six of the seven heads of government of the G7 rich countries are alphabetically advantaged (Berlusconi, Blair, Bush, Chirac, Chretien and Koizumi ). The world’s three top central bankers (Greenspan, Duisenberg and Hayami) are all close to the top of the alphabet, even if one of them really uses Japanese characters. The same case are the world’s five richest men (Gates, Buffet and so on).
Can this merely happen by chance? At the start of the first year in primary school, teachers seat pupils alphabetically from the front, to make it easier to remember their names. So shortsighted Zysman gets stuck in the back row, and is seldom asked the improving questions by those teachers. At that time the alphabetically disadvantaged may think they have had a lucky escape. Yet the result may be worse qualifications, because they get less attention, as well as less confidence in speaking publicly.
The unfairness continues. At university graduation parties, the ABCs proudly get their awards first. However, by the time they reach the Zysmans most people are a little tired. Lists of job interviews and conference speakers and attendees all tend to be drawn up alphabetically, and their readers lose interest as they plough through them.
1. What does the author intend to show with AAAA cars and Zodiac cars?
A. An example of competition of two kinds of cars. B. Some advantages of AAAA cars in the taxi firm.
C. An example of unfairness caused by alphabetism. D. Some disadvantages of Zodiac cars in the taxi firm.
2. What can we infer from the first three paragraphs?
A. The alphabet is to blame for the failure of Zoe Zysman.
B. In both East and West, names are important to success.
C. Customers often pay a lot of attention to companies’ names.
D. The discrimination in alphabetism can be found in many areas.
3. The fourth paragraph suggests that .
A. alphabetically disadvantaged students often escape from class
B. teachers should pay equal attention to all their students
C. questions are often put to the more intelligent students
D. students should be seated according to their eyesight
4. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. VIPs in the western world gain a great deal from alphabetism.
B. People with surnames beginning with N to Z are often ill – treated.
C. Putting things alphabetically may lead to unintentional unfairness.
D. The movement to get rid of alphabetism still has a long way to go.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Over the past century, all kinds of unfairness and discrimination(歧视) have been made illegal. But one popular form continues to exist, that is alphabetism (字母排序法). This, for those as yet unaware of such a disadvantage, refers to discrimination against those whose surnames (姓氏) begin with a letter in the lower half of the alphabet.
It has long been known that the cars of a taxi firm called AAAA have a big advantage over Zodiac cars when customers look through their phone directories. Less well known is the advantage that Adam Abbot has in life over Zoe Zysman. English names are fairly spread between the halves of the alphabet. Yet a quite large number of top people have surnames beginning with letters between A and K.
Thus the American presidents and vice-presidents have surnames starting with B and C separately and 26 of those before George Bush took office (including his father) had surnames in the first half of the alphabet against just 16 in the second half. Even more striking, six of the seven heads of government of the G7 rich countries are alphabetically advantaged (Berlusconi, Blair, Bush, Chirac, Chretien and Koizumi ). The world’s three top central bankers (Greenspan, Duisenberg and Hayami) are all close to the top of the alphabet, even if one of them really uses Japanese characters. The same case are the world’s five richest men (Gates, Buffet and so on).
Can this merely happen by chance? At the start of the first year in primary school, teachers seat pupils alphabetically from the front, to make it easier to remember their names. So shortsighted Zysman gets stuck in the back row, and is seldom asked the improving questions by those teachers. At that time the alphabetically disadvantaged may think they have had a lucky escape. Yet the result may be worse qualifications, because they get less attention, as well as less confidence in speaking publicly.
The unfairness continues. At university graduation parties, the ABCs proudly get their awards first. However, by the time they reach the Zysmans most people are a little tired. Lists of job interviews and conference speakers and attendees all tend to be drawn up alphabetically, and their readers lose interest as they plough through them.
1.What does the author intend to show with AAAA cars and Zodiac cars?
A. An example of competition of two kinds of cars. B. Some advantages of AAAA cars in the taxi firm.
C. An example of unfairness caused by alphabetism. D. Some disadvantages of Zodiac cars in the taxi firm.
2.What can we infer from the first three paragraphs?
A. The alphabet is to blame for the failure of Zoe Zysman.
B. In both East and West, names are important to success.
C. Customers often pay a lot of attention to companies’ names.
D. The discrimination in alphabetism can be found in many areas.
3.The fourth paragraph suggests that .
A. alphabetically disadvantaged students often escape from class
B. teachers should pay equal attention to all their students
C. questions are often put to the more intelligent students
D. students should be seated according to their eyesight
4.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. VIPs in the western world gain a great deal from alphabetism.
B. People with surnames beginning with N to Z are often ill – treated.
C. Putting things alphabetically may lead to unintentional unfairness.
D. The movement to get rid of alphabetism still has a long way to go.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Over the past century, an alarming number of animals have become endangered or even extinct. Below are some animals whose numbers have been rapidly dropping in recent years.
Panda Bear
One of the biggest reasons contributing to the decline in the panda species is the destruction of its natural habitat. Farmers in China have gradually been claiming more and more of the land. As a result, pandas are forced to move away to places where it is hard to find bamboo for food.
Green Turtle
The green sea turtle species has survived for several millions of years, so you might wonder why it’s only becoming endangered now. A major cause is the change in climate and temperature, which both affect the hatching rates of turtle eggs. Climate changes also cause violent weather and rising water levels to flood areas where turtles usually go to lay their eggs. Apart from this, oil spills and other poisonous pollution, as well as increased fishing activities can cause sickness, or even death to the green turtles.
Cheetah
Cheetahs are famous for being the fastest animal on land but even they can’t run from some of the larger threats that have harmed them. Like the panda bears, cheetahs have gradually been losing their natural homes due to humans claiming land and developing in those areas. To make matters even worse, smaller animals move away when these areas are occupied, which means that the cheetah has less food! Don’t forget that other large animals, such as lions, are also fighting for any food that they can find, so occasionally young cheetahs end up as prey too.
Indian Elephant
Elephants are extremely intelligent animals and also the largest mammals that live on land. Sadly, in Asia many elephants were killed so that people could remove their tusks to use as decorative objects. While this practice has been banned now, some people still illegally continue. Forests in India have also been steadily destroyed and elephants are sometimes killed when they end up on human territory.
1.Humans’ increasing demand for land doesn’t affect the number of ________.
A. Indian elephants B. cheetahs
C. panda bears D. green turtles
2.We can save the largest mammals living on land by ________.
A. planting more bamboos
B. helping them find mates
C. stopping hunting them
D. preventing poisonous pollution
3.The living conditions of the fastest animal on land become worse because ________.
A. forests have been destroyed
B. they are threatened by humans and larger animals
C. people are fond of hunting wild animals
D. no law bans people from removing their tusks
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Their relationship_______ ups and downs over the past century.
A. will see B. sees
C. has seen D. had seen
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
________ reading of all good books is like ________ conversation with the best men of past centuries.
A.The; the B.A; a C.A; the D.The; a
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
A large number of excellent films ______ all over the world over the past decades.
A.have produced B.have been produced
C.were produced D.produced
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
As we reflect on the evolution of fitness over the centuries, and the emergence of a well- organized and growing "fitness” market and industry, it is well to ask ourselves: what have we lost, and what have we gained?
Obviously, much good has come out of these recent developments: there's widespread awareness of the importance of regular exercise, nearly every community has a gym or fitness club where people can go or pay to work out, and we understand more about how the human body works.Yet despite the many health and fitness methods, programs, and resources, the general population has never been so physically sedentary (久坐的)and out-of-shape. A recent World Health Organization report indicates that life expectancy (寿命)in the U. S. dropped for the first time since 1993. The health of modem people is declining, despite highly advanced medical technologies and the booming health and fitness industry.
How could that be? A large part of it is motivation. People are simply not as motivated to move their body and get healthy as they were in the past. We live in a society where the inability to operate one's body in a practical and effective manner is no longer an embarrassing condition. The fitness industry, no matter how good each new program claims to be, has failed to get the majority of people to value, practice, and enjoy physical exercise.
So, should we expect the answer to this dilemma to come from even more varied, or more technologically advanced programs and equipment? Or will the solution come from a different mindset, a simpler approach and practice, and overall a new culture?
1.What does the author tell us about fitness industry in paragraph 2?
A.It provides better technology.
B.It is supported by most people.
C.It brings about positive effects.
D.It costs people too much money.
2.What is the main reason why people fail to do physical exercise?
A.Not enough equipment. B.Lack of inner drive.
C.Misguided instructions. D.Embarrassing living conditions.
3.What does the author seem to agree with?
A.Change attitudes to fitness. B.Rely on standard practice.
C.Seek more potential customers. D.Turn to more advanced programs.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Lost in fitness B.Misunderstanding about fitness
C.Evolution of fitness D.Importance of fitness
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The search for beauty spans centuries and continents. Paintings of Egyptians dating back over 4,000 years show both men and women painting their nails and wearing makeup. In 8th-centuryFrance, wealthy noblemen wore large wigs (假发)of long, white hair to make themselves attractive. Today, people continue to devote a lot of time and money to their appearance.
There is at least one good reason for the desire to be attractive:beauty is power. Studies suggest that good-looking people make more money, get called on more often in class, and are regarded as friendlier.
But what exactly is beauty? It's difficult to describe it clearly, and yet we know it when we see it. And our awareness of it may start at a very early age. In one set of studies, six-month-old babies were shown a series of photographs. The faces on the pictures had been rated for attractiveness by a group of college students .In the studies, the babies spent more time looking at the attractive faces than the unattractive ones.
The idea that even babies can judge appearance makes perfect sense to many researchers. In studies by psychologists, men consistently showed a preference for women with larger eyes, fuller lips, and a smaller nose and chin while women prefer men with large shoulders and narrow waist.
According to scientists, the mind unconsciously tells men and women that these traits —the full lips, clear skin , strong shoulders —equal health and genetic well-being.
Not everyone thinks the same way, however. " Our hardwiredness can be changed by all sorts of expectations —mostly cultural, " say C. Loring Brace, an anthropologist at the University of Michigan. What is considered attractive in one culture might not be in another. Look at most Western fashion magazines:the women on the pages are thin. But is this "perfect" body type for women worldwide? Scientists' answer is no; what is considered beautiful is subjective and varies around the world. They found native peoples in southeast Peru preferred shapes regarded overweight in Western cultures.
For better or worse, beauty plays a role in our lives. But it is extremely difficult to describe exactly what makes one person attractive to another. Although there do seem to be certain physical traits considered universally appealing, it is also true that beauty does not always keep to a single, uniform standard. Beauty really is, as the saying goes, in the eye of the beholder.
1.People's ideas about beauty __________
A. have existed since ancient times
B. can be easily described
C. have little influence on a person's success
D. are based upon strict criteria
2.In Paragraph 3, the babies in the study __________.
A. were rated for their appearance
B. were entered in a beauty contest
C. were shown photos of a group of college students
D. were able to tell attractive faces from unattractive ones
3.A skinny woman in southeast Peru is more likely to be considered as _______ by the locals
A. unattractive B. charming
C. unknown D. ordinary
4.We can learn from the passage that __________
A. the ideas of beauty vary as people grow up
B. the search for beauty is rooted in lack of confidence
C. the standards for beauty are based on scientific researches
D. the understanding of beauty depends on cultural backgrounds
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The search for beauty spans centuries and continents. Paintings of Egyptians dating back over 4,000 years show both men and women painting their nails and wearing makeup. In 18th-century France, wealthy noblemen wore large wigs (假发)of long, white hair to make themselves attractive. Today, people continue to devote a lot of time and money to their appearance.
There is at least one good reason for the desire to be attractive:beauty is power. Studies suggest that good-looking people make more money, get called on more often in class, and are regarded as friendlier.
But what exactly is beauty? It's difficult to describe it clearly, and yet we know it when we see it. And our awareness of it may start at a very early age. In one set of studies, six-month-old babies were shown a series of photographs. The faces on the pictures had been rated for attractiveness by a group of college students. In the studies, the babies spent more time looking at the attractive faces than the unattractive ones.
The idea that even babies can judge appearance makes perfect sense to many researchers. In studies by psychologists, men consistently showed a preference for women with larger eyes, fuller lips, and a smaller nose and chin while women prefer men with large shoulders and a narrow waist. According to scientists, the mind unconsciously tells men and women that these traits —the full lips, clear skin , strong shoulders —equal health and genetic well-being.
Not everyone thinks the same way, however. “Our hardwiredness can be changed by all sorts of expectations —mostly cultural,” says C. Loring Brace, an anthropologist at the University of Michigan. What is considered attractive in one culture might not be in another. Look at most Western fashion magazines: the women on the pages are thin, but is this "perfect" body type for women worldwide? Scientists' answer is no; what is considered beautiful is subjective and varies around the world. They found native peoples in southeast Peru preferred shapes regarded overweight in Western cultures.
For better or worse, beauty plays a role in our lives. But it is extremely difficult to describe exactly what makes one person attractive to another. Although there do seem to be certain physical traits considered universally appealing, it is also true that beauty does not always keep to a single, uniform standard. Beauty really is, as the saying goes, in the eye of the beholder.
1. People's ideas about beauty __________.
A. have existed since ancient times
B. can be easily described
C. have little influence on a person's success
D. are based upon strict criteria
2.In Paragraph 3, the babies in the study __________.
A. were rated for their appearance
B. were entered in a beauty contest
C. were shown photos of a group of college students
D. were able to tell attractive faces from unattractive ones
3.The underlined word “traits” in Paragraph 4 probably means __________.
A. qualities B. measurements
C. judgments D. standards
4.We can learn from the passage that __________.
A. the ideas of beauty vary as people grow up
B. the search for beauty is rooted in lack of confidence
C. the standards for beauty are based on scientific researches
D. the understanding of beauty depends on cultural backgrounds
5. What can probably be the best title for this passage?
A. The History of Beauty
B. The Standards for Beauty
C. The Mystery of Beauty
D. The Attitudes toward Beauty
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Michael Scofield has won fans all over the world. The star of the hit show Prison Break is kind, clever and good-looking. But what about the man ________ the character?
Wentworth Miller, the 35-year-old actor who plays Scofield, is a hard guy to figure out. He does not come from a traditional background and doesn’t ________ a traditional path.
Miller didn’t take a ________ road to fame. He graduated from Princeton University in 1995 with a degree in English, not a degree in ________ or film. He didn’t even act when he was in college. His only ________ experience was in his university’s well-known singing group. Yet, at graduation, Miller still decided to make the ________ to Hollywood.
Miller has always been ________. Although he is American, he was born in Britain when his father was studying there. His family background is a ________ of cultures. “My father is black and my mother is white. That means I have always been caught in the middle. I could be ________ one, which can make you feel out of place,” Miller says.
Following his unusual path, Miller did not start trying out for films when he got to Hollywood., he worked as a production assistant. Working on production side, he learned a lot about what makes a good.
In 2002, Miller played a role in the drama Dinotopia. He starred as a shy man. The producers ________his performance when they were making Prison Break two years later.
1.A. beside B. behind C. outside D. after
2.A. share B. know C. follow D. find
3.A. direct B. special C. wide D. correct
4.A. engineering B. communication C. literature D. theatre
5.A. graduation B. performance C. production D. education
6.A. move B. role C. decision D. movie
7.A. strange B. outstanding C. different D. successful
8.A. mixture B. result C. mystery D. representative
9.A. each B. either C. another D. every
10.A. Moreover B. Therefore C. Instead D. Finally
11.A. film B. actor C. drama D. director
12.A. denied B. made C. recorded D. remembered
高三英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析