An "apple polisher" is one who gives gifts to...

An "apple polisher" is one who gives gifts to win friendship or special treatment.It is not exactly a bribe（贿赂）, but is close to it.

All sorts of people are apple polishers,including politicians and people in high offices—just about everybody. Oliver Cromwell,the great English leader,offered many gifts to win the support of George Fox and his party,but failed.

There are other phrases meaning the same thing as "apple-polishing"—"soft-soaping" or "butter-up".A gift is just one way to "soft-soap" somebody,or to "butter him up".Another that is just as effective is flattery,giving someone high praise—telling him how good he looks,or how well he speaks,or how talented and wise he is.

Endless are the ways of flattery.Who does not love or hear it?Only an unusual man can resist the thrill of being told how wonderful he is.In truth,flattery is good medicine for most of us,who gets so little of it.

We need it to be more sure of ourselves.It cannot hurt unless we get carried away by it.But we just lap it up for its food value and nourishment,as a cat laps up milk,then we can still remain true to ourselves.

Sometimes,however,flattery will get you nothing from one who has had too much of it.A good example is the famous 12th century legend of King Canute of Denmark and England.The king got tired of listening to the endless sickening flattery of his courtiers（朝臣）.They over-praised him to the skies,as a man of limitless power.

He decided to teach them a lesson.He took them to the seashore and sat down.Then he ordered the waves to stop coming in.The tide was too busy to listen to him.The king was satisfied.This might show his followers how weak his power was and how empty their flattery.

1.Which of the following activities has nothing to do with "apple-polishing"?

A. A boy tells his girlfriend how pretty she looks

B. An employee tells his boss how good he is at management

C. A knight is said to be of limitless power by his followers

D. A teacher praised his students for their hard work

2.King Canute of Denmark and England took his followers to the seashore because_______.

A. he was sick of his normal

B. he wanted them to realize how wise he was

C. he did not like being over-praised any more

D. he wanted them to see how weak he was as a king

3.The author thinks that flattery can do good to those who_______.

A. lack confidence　　 B. are really excellent

C. are politicians or in high offices　　 D. think highly of themselves

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

D

An “apple-polisher” is one who gives gifts to win friendship or special treatment. It is not exactly a bribe（贿赂）, but is close to it.

“Apple-polishing” is as old as human society, but the phrase itself is recent, about 50 years old. It comes from the schoolroom. For a long time, some schoolboys would leave a shiny（有光泽的，发光的） apple on the teacher’s desk. They would rub and polish the apple to give it a bright shine, so as to make it look more tasty. Such a gift, the students hoped, might make the teacher shut her eyes to their poor work and give them a good mark.

All sorts of people are apple-polishers, including politicians and people in high offices—almost everybody.

There are other phrases meaning the same thing as “apple-polishing”— “soft-soaping” or “buttering-up”. A gift is just one way to “soft-soap” somebody, or to “butter him up”.

Another way that is just as effective as apple-polishing is flattery, giving someone high praise — telling him how good he looks, or how well he speaks, or how wise he is. Flattery, of course, is the cheapest kind of “apple polishing”.

To flatter another costs you nothing and you can give it as freely as you want. And you can always find somebody eagerly looking for it.

53. An “apple-polisher” is one who ________.

A. tries to please someone to get favor

B. bribes with money to get something

C. is really friendly to everyone around him

D. plants apple trees and polishes his apples every day

54. Why did the students polish the apple for their teacher?

A. They hoped that she would not pay attention to them.

B. They didn’t want her to wash the apple by herself.

C. They wished to draw her attention.

D. They longed for her giving them a good mark.

55. According to the passage, the cheapest way to please someone is ________.

A. to flatter him                                               B. to bribe him

C. to talk freely with him                             D. to play jokes on him

56. The author seems to suggest that ________.

A. nobody likes to be flattered                    B. very few people apple-polish others

C. apple-polishing is a kind of bribe            D. many people like to be soft-soaped

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

A teacher teaching Maths to seven-year-old Laiq asked him, “If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?”

Within a few seconds, Laiq 　　 confidently, “Four!”

The confused teacher was expecting a(n) 　　 correct answer, three. She was disappointed. “Maybe the child did not listen 　　 .” she thought. She 　　 , “Laiq, listen carefully. If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?”

Laiq had seen the 　　 on his teacher’s face. He 　 again on his fingers. But within him he was also 　　 the answer that would make the teacher happy. This time hesitatingly he replied, “Four.”

The disappointment stayed on the teacher’s face. Suddenly she 　　 that Laiq like strawberries. She thought maybe he didn’t like apples and that was why he couldn’t answer the question. This time with an excitement in her 　　 she asked, “If I give you one strawberry and one strawberry and one strawberry, then how many you will have?”

Seeing the teacher 　　 , young Laiq calculate on his fingers again. There was no pressure on him, but a little on the teacher. She wanted her new 　　 to succeed. 　　 a hesitating smile young Laiq replied, “Three?”

The teacher now had a 　　 smile. Her approach had succeeded. She wanted to 　 herself. But one last thing remained. 　　 she asked him, “Now if I give you one apple and one apple and one more apple how many will you have?”

Confidently Laiq answered, “Four!” The teacher was 　　 . “How Laiq, How?” she demanded in a little annoyed voice.

In a voice that was 　　 and hesitating young Laiq replied, “Because I already have one 　　 in my bag.”

The story tells us: 　　 someone gives you an answer that is 　　 from what you expect, don’t think they are wrong. There shall be an angle that you may not have thought about yet.

1.A. replied B. added C. told　 D. wrote

2.A. careless B. effortless C. worthless　 D. selfless

3.A. Possibly B. actively C. strictly D. properly

4.A. repeated B. ordered C. whispered D. complained

5.A. satisfaction B. disappointment C. punishment D. determination

6.A. recognized B. discovered C. calculated D. insisted

7.A. searching for B. waiting for C. arguing about D. talking about

8.A. decided B. noticed C. expressed D. remembered

9.A. mouth B. hands C. eyes D. nose

10.A. sad B. happy C. pitiful D. lovely

11.A. invention B. system C. reform D. approach

12.A. On B. In C. With D. By

13.A. victorious B. precious C. lasting D. appealing

14.A. thank B. congratulate C. help D. enjoy

15.A. Above all B. In vain C. On purpose D. Once again

16.A. astonished B. concerned C. amused D. relaxed

17.A. high B. clear　 C. easy D. low

18.A. strawberry B. apple C. coin D. box

19.A. Before B. After C. Until D. When

20.A. free B. absent　 C. different D. safe

高二英语完形填空困难题查看答案及解析

The little boy, who had _____ gift for music from an early age, is considered to be _____ future Beethoven by his teachers.

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

高二英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析

Tips for Successful Gift Giving

Good gift giving is an art. The perfect present can lift a mood or improve a relationship. Whatever the occasion, gift giving is a social ritual that requires careful thought and consideration.1. We spoke to some experts to help us craft a simple guide to gifting.

Don’t add a small gift to a big gift. When we receive gifts in a bundle, we tend to unconsciously average out their value, so a small gift tacked onto a big one will hurt the latter’s impact. 2.

3. A dream vacation or seeing your favorite artist in concert will give you memories that last forever. Experiences often have more thought gone into them, and they create more vivid memories. We might remember the tablet that a friend or a loved one has bought us, but not as much as a two-week holiday to Florida—the memories and the emotional attachment to experiences are greater than to physical objects.

Think like the receiver. 4. That might seem obvious, but it happens far less　 than we'd like. People tend to use gifts as jokes, encouragements to change one’s ways, or to signal something about themselves rather than providing utility or happiness to the receiver.

Remember there’s a reason why we say that it’s the thought that counts. 5. Most　 people don’t want lots of money spent on them — they just want you to think about them, and that can be done in lots of easy ways.

A.Gift things you like best.

B.So there are a set of rules to follow.

C.Gift experiences rather than things.

D.Don’t forget why you are giving gifts.

E.Buy things your receiver would buy for themselves.

F.When you give others gifts, never forget to choose the expensive things.

G.When it comes to gift giving, remember that sometimes less is more.

高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析

“What an excellent thing is knowledge,” said a sharp-looking, talkative man to one who was __________ older than himself. “Knowledge is an __________ thing, as everyone can see,”__________　 he. “My boys know more at six and seven years old than I did at twelve. They can read all sorts of books, and __________　 on all sorts of subjects. The world is a great deal wiser than it used to be. Everybody knows __________ of everything now . Do you not think, sir , that knowledge is an excellent thing ?” “ __________　 , sir,” replied the old man in surprise, looking　 __________　 in manner, “that depends __________ upon the use it is applied. It may be a blessing or a curse(诅咒）. Knowledge is only an　 __________ of power, and power may be bad, __________ a good thing” “That is what I can’t understand, ” said the __________　 little man. “How can power be a bad thing?”

“I will tell you” calmly replied the old man and thus he went on: “When the power of a horse is under control, the animal is __________in bearing burden, drawing loads, and carrying his master, but　 __________ that power is out of control, the horse __________　 his bridle (缰绳），dashes to pieces the carriage that he draws, or throws his __________. ” “I see! ”　 said the little man.

“When the ship is operated alright, the sail that she __________ enables her sooner to get into port, but if operated __________ ,the more sails she carries, the further she will go out of her course”“I see!” said the little man, “ I clearly see! ”

“Well then，”__________ the old man, “if you see these things clearly, I hope you can see, too, that knowledge, to be good thing, must be rightly applied. God’s grace in the heart will make the knowledge of the head a blessing but __________ this, it may __________ to us no better than a curse.” “I see! I see! ” said the little man, “I see! ”

1.A. much　　 B. still　　 C. even　　 D. rather

2.A. intelligent　　 B. impressive　　 C. excellent　　 D. gorgeous

3.A. claimed　　 B. stated　　 C. repeated　　 D. described

4.A. doubt　　 B. talk　　 C. question　　 D. explain

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

6.A. Sorry　　 B. Why　　 C. My god　　 D. Excuse me

7.A. formal　　 B. mysterious　　 C. serious　　 D. cautious

8.A. partially　　 B. comparatively　　 C. frequently　　 D. entirely

9.A. increase　　 B. amount　　 C. independence　　 D. interest

10.A. other than　　 B. as well as　　 C. rather than　　 D. no more than

11.A. confident　　 B. ridiculous　　 C. optimistic　　 D. talkative

12.A. useful　　 B. volunteer　　 C. interested　　 D. kind

13.A. even though　　 B. although　　 C. now that　　 D. when

14.A. refuses　　 B. breaks　　 C. ruins　　 D. destroys

15.A. owner　　 B. driver　　 C. rider　　 D. leader

16.A. lifts　　 B. contains　　 C. generates　　 D. governs

17.A. poorly　　 B. unpredictably　　 C. carelessly　　 D. improperly

18.A. reviewed　　 B. expressed　　 C. continued　　 D. decided

19.A. with　　 B. without　　 C. besides　　 D. except

20.A. prove　　 B. lead　　 C. happen　　 D. explain

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Too many people want others to be friends, but they don’t give friendship back. That is why some friendships don’t last long. To have a friend, you must learn to be one. You must learn to treat your friend the way you want your friend to treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules: be honest; be generous; be understanding.

Honesty is where a good friend starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you do not tell the truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven’t been honest, you may lose your friend’s trust. Good friends always count on one another to speak and act honestly.

Generosity means sharing and sharing makes a friendship grow. You do not have to give your lunch money or your clothes of course. Instead you have to learn how to share things you enjoy, like your hobbies and your interests. Naturally you will want to share your ideas and feelings. These can be very valuable to a friend. They tell your friend what is important to you. By sharing them, you help your friend know better.

Sooner or later everyone needs understanding and help with a problem. Something may go wrong at school. Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve. Turning to a friend can be the first step in solving the problem. So a friend must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in your friend’s place so you can understand the problem better.

No two friendships are ever exactly alike. But true friendships have three things in common. If you plan to keep your friends, you must practice honesty, generosity, and understanding.

1.What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Three Important Points in Life

B. How to Be a Good Friend

C. Honesty Is the Most Important Quality

D. A Friend in Need Is a Friend Indeed

2.Some friendships don’t last long because________.

A. some people don’t treat friendship seriously

B. there are too many people who want to make friends

C. they don’t share their lunch money

D. some people only receive friendship but don’t give friendship back

3.In the 2nd paragraph the underlined phrase “count on” probably means _______.

A. calculate   B. trust          C. matter         D. include

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Too many people want to be their friends, but they don’t give friendship back. That is why some friendship doesn’t last long. To have a friend, you must learn to be one. You must learn to treat your friend the way you want your friend to treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules: be honest; be generous; be understanding.

Honesty is where a good friendship starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you do not tell the truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven’t been honest, you may lose friend’s trust. Good friends always count on one another to speak and act honestly.

Generosity means sharing and sharing makes a friendship grow. You do not have to give your lunch money or your clothes. Naturally you will want to share your ideas and feeling. These can be very valuable to a friend. They tell your friend what is important to you. By sharing them, you help your friend know better.

Sooner or later everyone needs understanding and helping with a problem. Something may go wrong at school. Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve. Turning to a friend can be a first step in solving the problem. So to be a friend you must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in your friend’s place so you can understand the problem better.

No two friendships are ever exactly alike. But all true friendships have three things in common. If you plan to keep your friends, you must practice honesty, generosity, and understanding.

1.Some friendships don’t last very long because ________.

2.According to the passage honesty is ___________.

3.Which of the following isn’t mentioned(提及) in the passage?

4.The best title of this passage is __________.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Too many people want others to be their friends, but they don’t give friendship back. That is why some friendships do not last very long. To have a friend, you must learn to be one. You must learn to treat your friend the way you want your friend treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules. Be honest; be generous; be understanding.

Honesty is where a good friendship starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you do not tell the truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven’t been honest you may lose your friends’ trust. Good friends always count on one another to speak and act honestly.

Generosity means sharing and sharing makes a friendship grow. You do not have to give your lunch money on your clothes of course. Instead you have to learn how to share things you enjoy, like your hobbies and your interest. Naturally you will want to share your ideas and feelings. These can be very valuable to a friend．They tell your friend what is important to you. By sharing them you help your friend know you better.

Sooner or later every one needs understanding and help with a problem. Something may go wrong at school. Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve. Turning to a friend can be a first step in solving the problem. So to be a friend you must listen and understand．You must try to put yourself in your friend’s place so you can understand the problem better.

No two friendships are ever exactly alike. But all true friendships have three things in common. If you plan to keep your friends, you must practise honesty, generosity, and understanding.

1.Some friendships don’t last very long because ____.

A．there are too many people who want to make friends.

B．those who never give others friendships receive no friendship from others.

C．those who give others friendship receive friendship from others.

D．they don’t know friendship is something serious.

2.According to the passage honesty is _____.

A．something good

B．the base of friendship

C．as important as money

D．more important than anything else

3.The underlined word “generosity” means _____.

A．慷慨　　　　　　　　 B．节约　　　　　　　　 C．吝啬　　　　　　 D．和气

4.Which of the following isn’t mentioned （提及）in the passage?

A．Always tell your friend the truth.

B．Sharing your mind with your friend is of great value.

C．Discussing your problems with your friend often helps to solve the problem.

D．A friend who gives you his lunch money is a true friend．

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

阅读理解。

Too many people want others to be friends,but they don’t give friendship back.That is why some friendships don’t last long.To have a friend,you must learn to be one.You must learn to treat your friend the way you want your friend to treat you.Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules:be honest;be generous;be understanding.

Honesty is where a good friend starts.Friends must be able to trust one another.If you do not tell the truth,people usually find out that.If a friend finds out that you haven’t been honest,you may lose your friend’s trust.Good friends always count on one another to speak and act honestly.

Generosity means sharing and sharing makes a friendship grow.You do not have to give your lunch money or your clothes of course.Instead you have to learn how to share things you enjoy,like your hobbies and your interests.Naturally you will want to share your ideas and feelings.These can be very valuable to a friend.They tell your friend what is important to you.By sharing them,you help your friend know better.

Sooner or later everyone needs understanding and help with a problem.Something may go wrong at school.Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve.Turning to a friend can be the first step in solving the problem.So a friend must listen and understand.You must try to put yourself in your friend’s place so you can understand the problem better.

No two friendships are ever exactly alike.But true friendships have three things in common.If you plan to keep your friends,you must practice honesty,generosity,and understanding.

根据短文内容,选择最佳答案

1.What’s the best title of the passage?

A.Three Important Points in Life

B.How to Be a Good Friend

C.Honesty Is the Most Important Quality

D.A Friend in Need Is a Friend Indeed

2.Some friendships don’t last long because 　　 .

A.some people don’t treat friendship seriously

B.there are too many people who want to make friends

C.they don’t share their lunch money

D.some people only receive friendship but don’t give friendship back

3.According to the passage,honesty is　　 .

A.the base of friendship

B.as important as our life

C.more important than anything else

D.something valuable

4.To be a friend,you must 　　 .

A.give your money to your friend

B.give your clothes to your friend

C.be honest,generous and understanding

D.help your friend to do everything

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析