On a visit to Sussex on February 16th, David ...

On a visit to Sussex on February 16th, David Cameron announced that, if the Conservatives win the election on May 7th, young people who are out of work, education or training for six months will have to do unpaid community work to get benefits. The speech was part of a pre-election push to show the Conservative Party is tough on welfare reform (though critics insist such schemes rarely promote employment). “The well-worn path—from the school gate down to the job centre and on to a life on benefits—has got to be wiped away,” said the prime minister.

The welfare bill has fallen a bit as unemployment drops. But the main attempt to reform working-age benefits—known as universal credit (UC)—has gone away. In 2011 Mr Cameron said it would be part of “the most ambitious and fundamental changes to the welfare system since it began”. The latest stage of UC was also started from February 16th, but its future is not certain at all.

UC combines six working-age benefits, including tax credits, housing benefit and job-seeker’s allowance, into a single payment. It aims to provide the poorest Britons with a ladder to climb out of welfare dependency by simplifying a system that provides perverse incentives(反常动力) to stay on benefits rather than work. Its champion, Iain Duncan Smith, the secretary for work and pensions, claims it is as much about changing culture as about saving money.

The project has crawled along, hitting many obstacles on the way, such as an overly ambitious timetable that had to be reset in 2013 and an IT system that had to be abandoned, costing tens of millions of pounds. Mr Duncan Smith debated often with George Osborne, the harder-nosed chancellor of the exchequer(财政大臣).

Other problems have come from technical complexities, such as linking the tax system’s computers with those at the department for work and pensions. Critics say that moving all claims online is foolish when many people do not even have access to a computer. Similarly foolish, they say, are plans to pay benefits monthly rather than weekly to people who cannot budget, and to give housing benefit to applicants who may waste it rather than directly to the landlords of their government-funded housing. Defenders say the poor need to be given more responsibility. “The current benefits system is just ‘process and pay’,” says Christian Guy, Mr Duncan Smith’s former speechwriter, now head of the Centre for Social Justice. “UC makes the assumption of ambition.”

This week’s limited demonstration will mean that 250 job centres—roughly one in three—will offer UC. But these numbers refer to a system used for single recipients with no dependents. The bigger “digital” system, covering complex applicants with children, has not yet been tested. “The reason this week’s announcement means nothing is that we are still not sure if the system works for most people,” says Jonathan Portes of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. “They’re producing a system they are not going to use.” The government hoped that 1 million people would be using UC by April 2014, but only 64,000 have used it so far.

There is no guarantee it will be carried out in full, even if the Tories form the next government. “I wouldn’t put money on UC continuing under either major party,” says Colin Talbot of the University of Manchester. Opponents say gains will be the lowest. They accuse Mr Duncan Smith and his team of trying to change the world. Mr Guy contradicts: “At least someone is trying.”

Title: The government’s welfare reform is in 1.

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David Cameron is urging today’s youngsters to abandon French to concentrate on the tongue of the future—Mandarin(普通话)。

Cameron said: “I want Britain linked up to the world’s fast-growing economies. And that includes our young people learning the languages to seal tomorrow’s business deals.”

“By the time the children born today leave school, China is to be the world’s largest economy. So it’s time to look beyond the traditional focus on French and German and get many more children learning Mandarin.” To strengthen his message , he quoted Nelson Mandela—the former president of South Africa who said “If you talk to a man in a language he understands that goes to his head; if you talk to him in his own language that goes to his heart.”

Cameron said that a partnership between the British Council (英国文化协会) and Hanban will double the number of Chinese language assistants in the UK by 2016 and provide increased funding to schools of offering Mandarin as a language choice. In a development of the UK—China School Partnership programme , funding will also be provided for 60 headteachers to make study visits to China in 2014.

In recent research the British Council found only 1% of the adult population speaks Mandarin to a level that allows them to conduct a basic conversation. Just 3,000 pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland entered for Chinese languages GCSEs in 2013, putting it far behind the traditional choices of French with 177,000, Spanish with 91,000 and German with 62,000 entrants(加入者), as well as Urdu, Polish and Arabic.

Professor Dame Helen Wallace, the British Academy’s foreign secretary, said, “ a lack of qualified teachers could be a barrier to improve its popularity.”

Laura Chan, one of the co—founders of a bilingual Mandarin—English primary school, said the prime minister’s announcement was good news for the status of Mandarin. She said, “It’s a great help. It will increase people’s awareness of Mandarin as a language they can learn.”

1.What is the text mainly talking about?

A. The cooperation is important between the UK and China.

B. David Cameron has visited China for three days.

C. Chinese language is very popular with British people.

D. David Cameron calls for British students to learn Mandarin.

2.Why does David Cameron urge students to learn Chinese?

A. Because Chinese will be a widely—used language in the world.

B. Because he thinks China will become the largest economy.

C. Because there are many Chinese people living in Britain.

D. Because only a few of British people can communicate in Chinese.

3.What is the purpose of David Cameron by quoting Mandela’s words in Paragraph3?

A. To compare different ideas. B. To show his rich knowledge.

C. To persuade people to learn Mandarin. D. To share Mandela’s opinion.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

David Cameron is urging today’s youngesters to abandon French to concentrate on the tongue of the future—Mandarin(普通话)。

Cameron said: “I want Britain linked up to the world’s fast-growing economies. And that includes our young people learning the languages to seal tomorrow’s business deals.”

“By the time the children born today leave school, China is to be the world’s largest economy. So it’s time to look beyond the traditional focus on French and German and get many more children learning Mandarin.” To strengthen his message , he quoted Nelson Mandela—the former president of South Africa who said “If you talk to a man in a language he understands that goes to his head; if you talk to him in his own language that goes to his heart.”

Cameron said that a partnership between the British Council (英国文化协会) and Hanban will double the number of Chinese language assistants in the UK by 2016 and provide increased funding to schools of offering Mandarin as a language choice. In a development of the UK—China School Partnership programme, funding will also be provided for 60 headteachers to make study visits to China in 2014.

In recent research the British Council found only 1% of the adult population speaks Mandarin to a level that allows them to conduct a basic conversation. Just 3,000 pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland entered for Chinese languages GCSEs in 2013, putting it far behind the traditional choices of French with 177,000, Spanish with 91,000 and German with 62,000 entrants(加入者), as well as Urdu, Polish and Arabic.

Professor Dame Helen Wallace, the British Academy’s foreign secretary, said, “ a lack of qualified teachers could be a barrier to improve its popularity.”

Laura Chan, one of the co—founders of a bilingual Mandarin—English primary school, said the prime minister’s announcement was good news for the status of Mandarin. She said, “It’s a great help. It will increase people’s awareness of Mandarin as a language they can learn.”

1.What is the text mainly talking about?

A. David Cameron calls for British students to learn Mandarin.

B. David Cameron has visited China for three days.

C. Chinese language is very popular with British people.

D. The cooperation is important between the UK and China.

2.Why does David Cameron urge students to learn Chinese?

A. Because Chinese will be a widely—used language in the world.

B. Because there are many Chinese people living in Britain.

C. Because he thinks China will become the largest economy.

D. Because only a few of British people can communicate in Chinese.

3.What is the writer’s attitude to the popularity of Mandarin?

A. It’s wonderful but it also has some problems.

B. It can be a great waste of time and energy.

C. It’s only a design for the youngsters later.

D. It’s only a way to help students to travel abroad.

4.What is the purpose of David Cameron by quoting Mandela’s words in Paragraph3?

A. To compare different ideas.

B. To show his rich knowledge.

C. To share Mandela’s opinion.

D. To persuade people to learn Mandarin.

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

The Spring Festival, known 1. the Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on February 16th this year and 2. (mark) the start of the Year of Dog in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Meanwhile, the Spring Festival travel season, known as Chunyun in Chinese, officially begins. It is 3. time for family reunions, so millions of Chinese people will return to their hometowns or travel around the country in 4. has become the largest human migration in the world.

Around 2.98 billion trips are expected to be made during the Spring Festival. Several years ago, some people had no 5. (choose) but to turn to ticket scalpers (黄牛党) for help. However, at present, unlike previous years, people find 6. much easier to get tickets. High-speed trains make trips home 7. (considerable) faster. China Railway Corp. has launched a series of 8. (service) for passengers which involve self-service counters, free smartphone apps and ubiquitous(随处可见的) travel notices, thus 9. (save) much time for the passengers. As for travel by road, the electronic toll collection system helps enhance the efficiency of travel with the system 10. (update).

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On February 28^th, ____ 11-day 24th Winter Universiade came to ____ successful conclusion in Harbin.

A．the; a           B．/; a            C．/; the    D．/;/

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Scientists announced on Thursday, February 11, 2016, at a press conference in Washington, D. C that the more than half-century search for gravitational waves finally succeeded. They confirmed that they had detected gravitational waves caused by two black holes mixing together about 1. 3 billion years ago. It had been the first time the phenomenon was directly detected since it was predicted by Albert Einstein l00 years ago.

A China led space gravitational wave detection project is recruiting (招募) researchers from around the world, china news, com reported. The Tianqin project was started by Sun Yat-sen University in Zhuhhai. It centers on research of key technologies in space gravitational wave detection. To make the project more competitive，global talents in areas such as gravity theory，space gravity experiments and precision measurement are sought with an annual salary of up to 1 million yuan ($ 153.000). according to the report.

Gravitational waves are not easily detectable. When they reach the Earth, an extremely sensitive detector is needed, as other sources of noise can overwhelm the signal. Luo Jun. president of Sun Yat sen University said the detection of gravitational waves is a huge challenge and the project reflects the research competence of China.

The 15-billion yuan project aims to send wave-detection satellites into space in 15 to 20 years with construction of a research center and observatory to be started soon. Researchers will likely cooperate with other scientists from the European Space Agency’s LISA Project.

Gravitational waves are ripples (涟漪) in space time generated during the earliest moment of the universe, when the universe experienced a brief but disordered period of expansion. The detection of gravitational waves is believed to help scientists understand more mysteries of the universe.

1.What can we learn about gravitational waves?

A. They caused black holes to mix together.

B. They came out about half a century ago.

C. They wore proved true by Albert Einstein.

D. They have been discovered recently.

2.According to the passage, the Tianqin project is intended to　　　　 .

A. develop technologies to detect space gravitational waves

B. attract talented researchers from across the globe

C. conduct various space gravity experiments

D. seek precision measurement in space

3.The underlined word “overwhelm” in the third paragraph probably means “　　　　　 .”

A. absorb　　 B. replace

C. remove　　 D. cover

4.The main purpose of the passage is to　　　　 .

A. explain the importance of the gravitational wave detection

B. present some new findings in space exploration

C. introduce a gravitational wave research project

D. encourage international cooperation in scientific research

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When will the speakers meet?

A.On January 30th. B.On January 31st. C.On February 1st.

高三英语短对话简单题查看答案及解析

On Tuesday, China announced it had grown the first ever plants on the moon, days after landing on the moon’s “far side” Von Karman crater. The cotton seed sprouts (新芽) seemed to have withstood the tough lunar conditions: freezing temperatures, lower gravity levels, and radiation.

But by Thursday, the new cotton seed sprouts had dead already, according to Liu Hanlong, the experiment leader, in a government press conference statement.

After Chang’e-4 landed on the far side of the moon earlier this month, the probe (探测器) was sent a command to remotely water the plants and start the growing process. A tube directed natural light on the surface of the moon into the small container to allow the plants to grow. The probe entered a sleep mode on Sunday, the first lunar night after the probe’s landing.

Professor Xie Gengxin, professor at Chongqing University and chief designer of the experiment, told CNN that it ended after nine days when the control team shut down the power. Xie said temperatures inside the biosphere had grown too abnormal and reached extremes that would likely kill all life, including the seeds and eggs during the lunar night. Xie didn’t confirm why temperatures had risen to levels unbearable for the plants in spite of the measures taken by the research team.

Even though the experiment was quickly terminated, Xie considered it a success. The cotton were the only seeds to sprout, however, and despite many assumptions about the future possibility of moon clothes, the cotton plant’s main purpose this time was to give researchers the valuable data on how to cultivate life in the moon’s tough conditions. The eventual ability to grow plants on the moon could prove useful for long-term space missions, like a trip to Mars. Astronauts could theoretically harvest their own food in space, avoiding the need to return to Earth to resupply.

Aside from the apparent failure of the biological or plant experiment, the rest of China’s mission to the far side of the moon appeared on track as of Thursday. The historic mission is intended to accomplish a range of tasks, including conducting the first lunar low-frequency radio astronomy experiment and exploring whether there is water at the moon’s poles.

Chang’e-4 is the latest step in China’s robotic lunar-exploration program, named after a moon goddess in Chinese mythology. China plans to launch the Chang’e-5 sample-return mission sometime this year.

1.What does the underlined word “withstood” mean?

A.Appreciated. B.Suffered from.

C.Tolerated. D.Been subject to.

2.What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A.The measures of the research team. B.The cause of ceasing the experiment.

C.The reason for the extreme temperature. D.The failure and impact of the experiment.

3.What is the major target of the plant experiment?

A.To make moon clothes possible.

B.To ensure its value for long-term space missions.

C.To enable astronauts to harvest their own food without returning to Earth to resupply.

D.To accumulate the priceless data on how to grow life in the moon’s severe conditions.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.China’s moon plants have died

B.China’s mission to the far side of the moon

C.The Chang’e-5 sample-return mission

D.Astronauts’ efforts to cultivate life in the moon

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The following are three of the best TV shows in Britain, on Wednesday, February 17th, 2016

1.What kind of person is Mary Portas？

A. A woman of big trouble.

B. A woman of new fashion.

C. A woman with great love.

D. A woman with strong determination.

2.The on-going drama Dickensian is pieced together by _________.

A. Tony Jordan’s novel opinion

B. Charles Dickens’s books

C. Inspect Bucket’s murder charge

D. Stephen Rea’s particular treat

3.What can be concluded from “Three Days of Terror”?

A. The survivors will no longer live in Paris.

B. Cartoons are not to be drawn in the magazine.

C. Islamist fanatics may commit more crimes.

D. The witnesses helped catch the killers.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Beijing announced on Sunday that the date for events ____ the 40th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan relations would be “adjusted to an appropriate time”.

A. marked                            B. marking                            C. having marked                D. to be marked

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析