Born and raised in a digital age, today’s you...

Born and raised in a digital age, today’s young people are generally tech savvy (技术娴熟的). But when it comes to basic life skills, they’re less capable than the older generation.

According to a recent study, 69 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds in the UK have no idea how to bleed a radiator(暖气片换水). About 35 percent of them don’t know how to sew on a button, while about 11 percent don’t understand how to change a light bulb or iron clothes.

It appears young people are losing the skills older generations took for granted. In fact, the problem is shared by young people in the United States. According to a report by Forbes in 2014, most millennial (千禧一代) drivers don’t know how to check their tire pressure. Cooking is another basic life skill that has been dropped, as millennials are much more likely to order food deliveries than previous generations.

Technology may be to blame for this generational gap. Skills at using phones and computers are the ones valued these days, and the practical skills are now seen as functions that can be easily outsourced (外包). Indeed, improvements in technology have made young people unfamiliar with many basic life skills. For example, with GPS always at hand, young people have had no need to learn how to read physical maps.

However, this change has raised concerns among many people. “If you have your master’s degree and you can’t live within your means or go home from your job and feed yourself a nutritious (有营养的) meal, you’re not a complete graduate,” Chris Moore, a professor from Brigham Young University, US, told HuffPost.

That’s why there’s an increasing call for the return of “home ec” in the US, short for home economics, which teaches basic life skills like cooking and how to do laundry. It was very popular in the early 20th century, but was later taken out of schools and universities because of budget(预算) cuts. But recently, home ec was reintroduced in a small number of schools and universities.

“The educational system would work better if every academic class had a practical course that applied the theory to do something regular people do in real life,” Robert Frost, instructor and flight controller at NASA, wrote on Quora, according to Huffpost.

1.Compared with previous generations, today’s young people are ________.

A. more capable in practical skills.

B. more capable in technological skills.

C. take changing light bulls and sewing for granted.

D. less likely to order food deliveries.

2.What is the reason for the gap between the present generation and previous ones?

A. Today’s young people are lazy.

B. Today’s young people are spoiled by their parents.

C. The economic situation of the past was worse than the present one.

D. Improvement in technology is to blame for it.

3.What can we conclude from the last three paragraphs?

A. The educational system would work better if practical courses are included in academic classes.

B. The change caused by improvements of technology raised many problems among people.

C. Home economics has returned in large scale.

D. Home economics teaches basic home technological skills.

4.What is the best title for the passage?

A. The improvements of technology.

B. Differences between the present and previous generations.

C. Young people’s lack of basic home skills.

D. The meaning and function of home economics.

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

In this digital age, people measure their popularity by the number of likes and followers they get on social media. But as it turns out, people are happiest when their friends are high quality - not high quantity.

Scientists from the University of Leeds, UK, studied data from two online surveys of nearly 1,500 people. Those who took the survey gave details about their age, social interactions, and how satisfied they were with their social lives. The researchers found that those who had a small number of close friends generally tended to be happier than those who had a large number of superficial (关系浅表的) friends.

“Loneliness has less to do with the number of friends you have, and more to do with　 how you feel about your friends,” said Wandi Bruine de Bruin, one of the researchers.

Bruine de Bruin found that older people tended to have smaller social circles than young people, but the people in these circles tended to be closer to them.

Younger people, on the other hand, tended to have bigger circles that were made up of “peripheral (次要的) others” - people who are not true friends, but just people they know. These people had no influence on the happiness of the younger surveyed.

The results of the study show that the prejudice society has about old people being sad and　 lonely might not be accurate.

“The research shows that older adults’ smaller networks didn’t undermine (破坏) social satisfaction and well-being. In fact, older adults tend to report better well-being than younger adults,” said Bruine de Bruin.

1.According to the study, people are likely to be happier when they　　　　　　 .

A.have a lot of followers on social media

B.are satisfied with their work and lives

C.make friends with people who are older

D.have a small circle of people who understand them well

2.What do we know from Paragraphs 4 and 5?

A.Older people’s friends seem to be of higher quality.

B.Young people don't need to make peripheral friends.

C.Older people's happiness has nothing to do with their friends.

D.Both old and young people find it hard to make close friends.

3.Which word might Bruine de Bruin use to describe older adults?

A.Superficial. B.Happy.

C.Lonely. D.Sad.

4.What is the main topic of the passage?

A.Different types of friends.

B.Changes in people's happiness levels.

C.The relationship between happiness and number of friends.

D.Interactions between old and young people.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

In this digital age, people measure their popularity by the number of likes and followers they get on social media. But as it turns out, people are happiest when their friends are high quality – not high quantity.

Scientists from the University of Leeds, UK, studied data from two online surveys of nearly 1,500 people. Those who took the survey gave details about their age, social interactions, and how satisfied they were with their social lives. The researchers found that those who had a small number of close friends generally tended to be happier than those who had a large number of superficial(关系浅表的)friends.

“Loneliness has less to do with the number of friends you have, and more to do with how you feel about your friends,” said Wandi Bruine de Bruin, one of the researchers.

Bruine de Bruin found that older people tended to have smaller social circles than young people, but the people in these circles tended to be closer to them.

Younger people, on the other hand, tended to have bigger circles that were made up of “peripheral(次要的)others” – people who are not true friends, but just people they know. These people had no influence on the younger interviewees’ happiness.

The results of the study show that the opinion society has about old people being sad and lonely might not be accurate.

“The research shows that older adults’ smaller networks didn’t prevent social satisfaction and happiness. In fact, older adults tend to report better well-being than younger adults,” said Bruine de Bruin.

1.According to the study, people tend to be happier when they _____.

A.have a small circle of close friends

B.are satisfied with their work and lives

C.have a lot of followers on social media

D.make friends with people who are older

2.What do we know from Paragraphs 4 and 5?

A.Older people’s friends seem to be of higher quality.

B.Young people don’t need to make peripheral friends.

C.Older people’s happiness has nothing to do with their friends.

D.Both old and young people find it hard to make close friends.

3.Which word might Bruine de Bruin use to describe older adults?

A.Sad. B.Happy.

C.Lonely. D.Superficial.

4.What is the focus of the story?

A.Different types of friends.

B.Changes in people’s happiness levels.

C.Interactions between old and young people.

D.The relationship between happiness and number of friends.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Freedom and Responsibility

Freedom’s challenge in the Digital Age is a serious topic. We are facing today a strange new world and we are all wondering what we are going to do with it.

Some 2,500 years ago Greece discovered freedom. Before that there was no freedom. There were great civilizations, splendid empires, but no freedom anywhere. Egypt and Babylon were both tyrannies, one very powerful man ruling over helpless masses.

In Greece, in Athens (雅典), a little city in a little country, there were no helpless masses. And Athenians willingly obeyed the written laws which they themselves passed, and the unwritten, which must be obeyed if free men live together. They must show each other kindness and pity and the many qualities without which life would be very painful unless one chose to live alone in the desert.The Athenians never thought that a man was free if he could do what he wanted. A man was free if he was self-controlled. To make yourself obey what you approved was freedom. They were saved from looking at their lives as their own private affair. Each one felt responsible for the welfare of Athens, not because it was forced on him from the outside, but because the city was his pride and his safety. The essential belief of the first free government in the world was liberty for all men who could control themselves and would take responsibility for the state.

But discovering freedom is not like discovering computers. It cannot be discovered once for all. If people do not prize it, and work for it, it will go. Constant watch is its price. Athens changed. It was a change that took place without being noticed though it was of the extreme importance, a spiritual change which affected the whole state. It had been the Athenian爷s pride and joy to give to their city. That they could get material benefits from her never entered their minds. There had to be a complete change of attitude before they could look at the city as an employer who paid her citizens for doing her work. Now instead of men giving to the state, the state was to give to them.What the people wanted was a government which would provide a comfortable life for them; and with this as the primary object, ideas of freedom and self-reliance and responsibility were neglected to the point of disappearing. Athens was more and more looked on as a cooperative business possessed of great wealth in which all citizens had a right to share.

Athens reached the point when the freedom she really wanted was freedom from responsibility.There could be only one result. If men insisted on being free from the burden of self-dependence and responsibility for the common good, they would cease to be free. Responsibility is the price every man must pay for freedom. It is to be had on no other terms. Athens, the Athens of Ancient Greece, refused responsibility; she reached the end of freedom and was never to have it again.

But, “the excellent becomes the permanent”, Aristotle said. Athens lost freedom forever, but freedom was not lost forever for the world. A great American, James Madison, referred to: “The capacity (能力) of mankind for self-government.” No doubt he had not an idea that he was speaking Greek. Athens was not in the farthest background of his mind, but once man has a great and good idea, it is never completely lost. The Digital Age cannot destroy it. Somehow in this or that man’s thought such an idea lives though unconsidered by the world of action. One can never be sure that it is not on the point of breaking out into action only sure that it will do so sometime.

1.What does the underlined word “tyrannies” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A. Countries where their people need help.　　 B. Governments ruled with absolute power.

C. Splendid empires where people enjoy freedom.　　 D. Powerful states with higher civilization

2.People believing in freedom are those who __________.

A. behave within the laws and value systems　　 B. seek gains as their primary object

C. regard their life as their own business　　 D. treat others with kindness and pity

3.What change in attitude took place in Athens?

A. The Athenians benefited spiritually from the government.

B. The Athenians no longer took pride in the city.

C. The Athenians refused to take their responsibility.

D. The Athenians looked on the government as a business.

4.What does the sentence “There could be only one result.” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A. Athens would continue to be free.

B. Athens would cease to have freedom.

C. Freedom would come from responsibility.

D. Freedom would stop Athens from self-dependence.

5.Why does the author refer to Aristotle and Madison?

A. The author is proud of man’s capacity.　　 B. The author is cautious about self-government.

C. The author is skeptical of Greek civilization.　　 D. The author is hopeful about freedom.

6.What is the author’s understanding of freedom?

A. Freedom can be more popular in the digital age.

B. Freedom needs to be guaranteed by responsibility.

C. Freedom should have priority over responsibility.

D. Freedom may come to an end in the digital age.

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

1.When you take Reading in the Digital Age, you will ________.

A. walk into different people’s life B. learn ways of understanding texts

C. get better at computer skills D. share opinions with literary scholars

2.Who will help students better understand the themes of Shakespeare’s plays?

A. Actors. B. Scholars.

C. Historians. D. Video tutors.

3.What can people learn from The European Discovery of China?

A. China’s discovery of the West. B. The rise and fall of the Qing Dynasty.

C. The importance of the Silk Road. D. China’s interest in Western travellers.

4.What are the subjects of these online courses?

A. Science and history. B. Media and health.

C. Nature and environment. D. Language and culture.

5.In which way do the three courses have in common?

A. They are aimed at students. B. They are provided for free.

C. Each lasts 6 weeks. D. Each takes 2 hours per week.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Children are starting on digital devices at ever younger ages, and opinions on the effects of children's digital-media habits are deeply polarised.(两极分化的).

Jean Twenge, a psychology professor, thinks excessive use of the internet and social media makes children lonely and depressed and poses serious risks to their physical and particularly their mental health, sometimes to the point of driving them to suicide.

However, Daniel Kardefelt-Winther of the Innocenti research office of Unicef examined various evidence and found less cause for alarm than is often suggested.Most of the studies he examined seem to show that the technology helps children stay in touch with their friends and make new ones.

The relationship between the use of digital technology and children's mental health, broadly speaking, appears to be u-shaped.Researchers have found that moderate use is beneficial, whereas either no use at all or extreme use could be harmful.

What worries some experts more is that screens are becoming part of the middle-class armoury( 武器 ) for perpetuating( 巩固 ) social advantage.Children from well-off homes are enrolled in private classes to learn skills like "How to be a YouTuber", which poorer parents cannot afford.

1.What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A. The disadvantages of overusing digital media.

B. The bad effects of using digital media.

C. Several bad impacts of using digital media.

D. The advantages of overusing digital media.

2.What is Daniel Kardefelt-Winther’s attitude to the use of digital media?

A. Objective B. Favorable

C. Indifferent D. Uncertain

3.What can you infer from the last paragraph?

A. Not all Children from rich homes can attend private classes

B. Not all Children from poor homes can learn skills like“how to be a YouTuber”.

C. Digital media is the only way of strengthening the middle-class.

D. Digital media can widen class gap.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A. Should children interact with digital media ?

B. Should parents allow their children interact with digital media?

C. What children do to interact with digital devices.

D. How children interact with digital devices.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

In today's fast paced，high stress world people are working longer hours than ever，and often exhaust themselves at day's end in front of the television to relax enough to begin again in the morning. However，television watching，for most people，does not really lower stress. Studies show that TV viewing more than an hour or so actually creates stress and，especially in women，may lead to the blues. Most individuals are unaware that doing some exercise after work makes them more energetic since it increases energy levels.

Wise use of free time does not mean getting an advanced degree，although the mental encouragement gained through education is unbeatable in keeping your mind active. Learning new things nearly always adds a spark to your daily life，especially if it is a favorite topic，such as sport，fashion，or art. Also，look through your bookstore or library to find books on your interests. Try to replace a half hour TV watching with reading.

It is reported that in the United States recently，many individuals have as few as two good friends. Long work hours and car commute act to separate people from each other. This separation is deadly. Find ways to meet people at the end of the day and on weekends. Often this can be best done by combining activities，such as by joining a walking group to get both exercise and companionship. Taking a class will lift your spirits and allow you to meet others with similar interests. Hobbies are great for reducing stress and provide another opportunity for social interaction.

Using your free time to aid your health may include these elements and many more，such as going to concerts and spending time with family. Overall，the key is to spend less free time being passive. The best ways to use free time are to be mentally and physically active，spend some time outdoors，and interact with other people on a regular basis.

1.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Watching television may cause women to feel depressed.

B. Finding interests and hobbies in common means taking a class.

C. Going to concerts is the best way to make you mentally active.

D. Getting an advanced degree in education always lights up your life.

2.What does the underlined word “commute” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A. The arrangement to work every day.

B. The journey to work every day.

C. The communication between people.

D. The separation between people.

3.Which would be the best title for the passage?

A. Live a Happy and Healthy Life

B. Relax Yourself in Various Ways

C. Spend Your Free Time Wisely

D. Interact With Others Outdoors

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

In today's fast paced，high stress world people are working longer hours than ever，and often exhaust themselves at day's end in front of the television to relax enough to begin again in the morning. However，television watching，for most people，does not really lower stress. Studies show that TV viewing more than an hour or so actually creates stress and，especially in women，may lead to the blues. Most individuals are unaware that doing some exercise after work makes them more energetic since it increases energy levels.

Wise use of free time does not mean getting an advanced degree，although the mental encouragement gained through education is unbeatable in keeping your mind active. Learning new things nearly always adds a spark to your daily life，especially if it is a favorite topic，such as sport，fashion，or art. Also，look through your bookstore or library to find books on your interests. Try to replace a half hour TV watching with reading.

It is reported that in the United States recently，many individuals have as few as two good friends. Long work hours and car commute act to separate people from each other. This separation is deadly. Find ways to meet people at the end of the day and on weekends. Often this can be best done by combining activities，such as by joining a walking group to get both exercise and companionship. Taking a class will lift your spirits and allow you to meet others with similar interests. Hobbies are great for reducing stress and provide another opportunity for social interaction.

Using your free time to aid your health may include these elements and many more，such as going to concerts and spending time with family. Overall，the key is to spend less free time being passive. The best ways to use free time are to be mentally and physically active，spend some time outdoors，and interact with other people on a regular basis.

1.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Watching television may cause women to feel depressed.

B. Finding interests and hobbies in common means taking a class.

C. Going to concerts is the best way to make you mentally active.

D. Getting an advanced degree in education always lights up your life.

2.What does the underlined word “commute” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A. The arrangement to work every day.

B. The journey to work every day.

C. The communication between people.

D. The separation between people.

3.Which would be the best title for the passage?

A. Live a Happy and Healthy Life

B. Relax Yourself in Various Ways

C. Spend Your Free Time Wisely

D. Interact With Others Outdoors

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

七选五试题

Want to learn Spanish in a fast and fun way? In the modern digital age there is surely more than one way to learn a foreign language. 　 1.　　 Check out the following tips to help you learn Spanish in a fast and fun way.

2.　　　 It doesn’t have to be long. You will be amazed at how much Spanish you can pick up within a few weeks or a couple of months. The best way to earn a new language is to immerse(沉浸）yourself　 fully in its culture.

Find a private tutor. 　　　 3.　　 While it may seem boring and old-fashioned, there is no substitute(替代物）for having your own teacher available for one-to-one teaching.

4.　　 There are many Spanish teaching resources on the Internet. Not only are there many websites where you can build up your Spanish vocabulary and read Spanish newspapers or magazines, but you can also use things like You Tube to watch Spanish language video clips and movies. What can be more useful than watching Spanish people speaking Spanish?

Take a Spanish course of some kind. With modern high-speed internet and multimedia computers these days, some of the various teaching courses available are truly excellent. They will make it possible for you to become fluent in Spanish faster than ever before. Many of them will give you DVDs pr CDs of the course material so you can listen in your spare time. 　　 5.　　 　 In this way, you may take part in your Spanish lessons using your iPod or other devices.

A. Make good use of the Internet.

B. And it has never been easier to make it a fun endeavor

C. This is a more traditional way of learning another language.

D. Check out the links below for information on learning Spanish.

E. Learn Spanish or somewhere else where people speak Spanish.

F. Move to Spanish or somewhere else where people speak Spanish.

G. These courses may even provide you with MPs copies of the audio.

高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析

Today, people all over the world are moving out of small villages in the country to go and live in big, noisy cities. They are moving from the peaceful hills, mountains, fields, rivers and streams of the countryside to the busy world of streets, buildings, traffic and crowds. This movement from rural areas to urban areas has been going on for over two hundred years.

In many countries, the main reason people come to live in towns and cities is work. After one or two large factories have been built in or near a town, people come to find work, and soon an industrial area begins to grow. There is usually a residential area nearby where the factory workers can live. The families of these workers need schools, hospitals and shops, so many people come to live in the area to provide these services and a city grows.

In every major city in the world, there is a business district where the big companies have their main offices. In the United States, this area is usually in the city center downtown. It is here that you can see many huge skyscrapers（摩天楼）and office blocks. The people who work here often travel a long way to work each day. Many of them live in the suburbs of the city, far away from the industrial area and the city center. Some suburbs are very pleasant, with nice houses and big gardens. There are usually parks for children to play in and large department stores where you can buy all you need.

But what is the future of the big cities? Will they continue to get bigger and bigger? Perhaps not. Some major cities have actually become smaller in the last ten years, and it is quite possible that one day we will see people moving out of the major cities and back into smaller town and villages.

1.The underlined phrase “a residential area” means ________.

A. an area where people can buy things       B. an area where people live

C. an area where people can do business      D. an area near a city center

2.Why do people move to live in cities or towns?

A. Because they can live more comfortably there.

B. Because they like noisy life better than peaceful life.

C. They do so mainly to find work.

D. Because they are sure of having a better life there.

3.In a residential area you can see ________.

A. rows of houses               B. many offices and factories

C. a lot of factories and farms     D. many houses with offices and factories

4.In the United States, many people work in the center of a big city__________.

A. and live there               B. while living on the far away edge（边缘）of the city

C. but live in another city        D. but live far away out of the city

5.We can infer that this movement from rural to urban areas ______.

A. has been going on for more than 2,000 years    B. will surely continue in the future

C. may not continue in the future                 D. has now stopped already

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析