It is that time of the year again. Up and dow...

It is that time of the year again. Up and down the country, thousands of students stay in the library, attempting to cram（ 死记硬背） the information necessary to get through finals. I am one of them — a Cambridge finalist, attempting to deal with the Oxbridge stress in the only way I know: caffeine hits and reclusion（隐遁生活）. Whether you love or hate Oxbridge, the fact that these two universities provide unique learning environments is something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, students have access to some of the best education in the world; on the other hand, the pressure that comes with this can prove damaging to them and can’t be swept under the carpet for they have to face it eventually.

Many Cambridge students find themselves trapped in a pressure of expectation, whether this comes from their supervisors or tutors, their director of studies or even from themselves. The drive towards achievement is either the key to success or to possible serious personal issues, as Mark Phippen, head of the University of Cambridge’s Counseling Service said, “There are plenty of perfectionists in Cambridge, but it can work two ways: it can push them to accomplish and to achieve, or it can get out of hand, disabling them.”

Many students say that they can’t handle it any more while working in certain libraries which are filled with other students hard at work. The competition and paranoia（ 多 疑 ） are more common than what we realize or question: you can feel as if you are being judged for how much time you spend on Facebook or YouTube, or how little time you spend reading.

Too many students feel almost frustrated by the pressure to achieve but feel unable to speak about it. As everyone seems to be coping, they must also pretend to cope too. The only thing students have: tutors and supervisors regularly encourage students to avoid extracurricular activities, urging them to focus on their studies to such an extent that many find it hard to handle it. One current Cambridge tutor has been known for checking up on the activities of students involved in extracurricular theatre by searching for them on the camdram.net website, which details who is involved in certain plays each term — just in case it affects the student’s work output.

Problems arise when the pressure produces mental health issues. Problems have been brought to attention in articles primarily from Oxford’s Cherwell and Cambridge’s The Tab. The attention has made　 the　 Cambridge University Student Union set up Students Deserve Better — a campaign to handle complaints　 about supervisors and tutors lacking the ability to provide proper spiritual support. “When I told　 my　 supervisor about my problems with anxiety and therefore about my worries surrounding the workload she was suggesting, she said that I would probably feel less anxious once the work was done,” a finalist student called Jane said. “It shouldn’t be an accepted response in one of the world’s best universities. Their responses only worsened any feelings I had concerning my final year.”

Phippen said, “At this point the exams seem like the most important thing in the world. However, two years down the line you’ll realize that the exams you did at university aren’t very important at all,　 as what　 then becomes more important is what you have done within those two years afterwards. Finalist exams can become depressing for students studying at any university. All you must remember is that you are not alone and you are good enough, and that a few years down the line, your ability to recount the plots of Euripides’ nineteen plays will no longer matter. So why worry?”

1.The underlined part “be swept under the carpet” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to “ 　　 ”.

A. be covered up　　 B. be dealt with

C. be given up　　 D. be figured out

2.What’s Mark Phippen’s attitude towards the pressure put on the students at Oxbridge?

A. Critical.　　 B. Doubtful.

C. Objective.　　 D. Ambiguous.

3.What can we know from Paragraph 4?

A. Extracurricular activities fail to appeal to most students.

B. Some tutors and supervisors push their students too hard.

C. There is a lack of communication between students and their supervisors.

D. Some students don’t speak about the pressure because they think they can handle it.

4.What Jane said in Paragraph 5 suggests that she 　　 .

A. didn’t get her problems across to her supervisor

B. had expected better spiritual guidance from her tutors

C. was dissatisfied with her supervisor’s delayed responses

D. was glad that Students Deserve Better was set up to help students like her

5.In the last paragraph, Mark Phippen aims to.

A. guarantee the equality of exams

B. stress the importance of exams

C. ease students’ pressure from exams

D. encourage students to perform better in exams

6.Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

A. Oxbridge pressure: the key to students’ achievements

B. Oxbridge finals: the toughest exams in the country

C. Oxbridge graduates: the strongest competitors in the job market

D. Oxbridge success: the result of teacher-student interaction

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Han Tianheng picked up a carving knife at the age of 6 and never put it down. Today, the 79 year-old artist, one of China's most respected living masters of seal carving（印章雕刻）, calligraphy and Chinese painting, still remembers the incident the first time he held a knife in his hand.

“I cut my thumb badly and was horrified by the bloody sight," he said, adding that his mother applied ashes because she couldn't afford to take him to a hospital. "The cut left a scar, which is still clear today."

An eye for an eye and blood for blood, the incident didn't set him back. Instead, it aroused his passion for the ancient art form. He was determined to pursue a path that would lead to a career in seal carving. Han said.

The journey of art exploration was a little bumpy for the young man in his quest for excellence, and his seal works were harshly criticized by a famous old painter.

Most would have crumbled under the criticism, not Han. It made him even more determined. After six months' hard work, he visited the painter again.

"This time, he asked me to carve a seal for him. This was positive affirmation," Han said. "Praise and criticism are what an artist should learn to handle all his life. Praise is candy and criticism is medicine. We can live without candy, but cannot live without medicine when ill."

Han rose to fame during the early 1960s famous for bird and insect seal art. Han's seals are an essential ending part on the paintings of a long list of well-established artists.

“A seal for a good painting is. like the buttons for an haute couture(高档女子时装).An experienced tailor always knows how to choose buttons that matches the whole style," Han said

His seals are full of variety — grand and solemn for Liu Haisu's paintings, light and vivid for Lu Yanshao's, graceful and gentle for Xie Zhiliu's.

"A good seal carver should keep bis own style, and at the same time go well with the painting's style." he said.

1.What influence did the incident have on Han when he was six?

A.He got injured very seriously.

B.He learned how to use a knife.

C.It aroused his interest in seal carving.

D.It helped him learn how hard life was.

2.Which best describes Han's journey of art exploration?

A.Smooth and fruitful. B.Inspiring and lucky.

C.Boring but worthwhile. D.Tough but rewarding.

3.In Han's opinion, what do an experienced tailor and a good seal carver share?

A.The huge respect they earn. B.The flexibility they display at work.

C.The targeted customers they serve. D.The efforts they have to make to succeed.

4.In which section, of a newspaper does this text most probably appear?

A.Education. B.Events.

C.Entertainment. D.People.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

There is a scene that is repeated up and down the land during the month of June. Outside a church in some Scottish town or village a small crowd has interrupted its daily affairs to gather on the pavement. Near the west door a dozen or so overdressed people are glancing impatiently at their watches. The men seem a little self-conscious in their hired kilts; the women hold their wind-blown dresses and loudly admire each other’s hats. They are all lively and talkative, yet at the same time strangely reserved. The crowd ignores them, barely noticing when they disappear into the church. Even the arrival of the groom rouses little excitement. These participants are not the main attraction. We are waiting for the bride.

Whatever her age or appearance, everyone will smile and express approval. By convention, all brides are beautiful. Nobody says so, but the spectators feel cheated unless she steps out of a car, dressed in white from head to toe. The nearer she matches their image, the greater their satisfaction. This event is not merely a wedding; it is a tradition, and such occasions are potentially dangerous. Participants must pay strict attention to detail. An untraditional bride destroys the magic.

When the crowd has left, some bystanders will remain to watch the bride walk out of church on the arm of her groom. The guests troop out behind the happy couple and all gather on the pavement with an obvious air of relief. A piper strikes up Mairi’s Wedding and the guests start shouting and jumping everywhere, putting the photographer off his work. Before bride and groom lead their party to the reception, someone is sure to disobey the priest and scatter forbidden confetti (五彩碎纸).

The particulars of this scene are modern; yet three elements are present that have existed since marriage in Scotland began—ancient Roman law redefined in a Christian context, Celtic tradition, and pre-Christian tradition.

51. Why is the scene mentioned in this article often seen all over Scotland in June?

A. It’s hot in June so men can wear kilts and women can put on beautiful dresses.

B. A lot of Scottish people like getting married at that time of the year.

C. In June people can get away from their daily affairs and go to church.

D. June is considered the luckiest month of the year.

52. The underlined word “them” (in Paragraph 1) refers to ________.

A. the overdressed people     B. the bride and groom

C. the people on the street     D. the people’s hats

53. Please put the following in correct order.

a. The bride arrives.

b. The couple walks out of the church.

c. A piper plays some music.

d. The groom arrives.

e. The bride and groom lead people to the reception.

f. People wait outside the church.

A. f, d, a, c, b, e                 B. f, d, a, b, c, e

C. d, f, a, b, e, c                                      D. d, a, f, b, e, c

54. The underlined part “putting the photographer off his work” (in Paragraph 3) most probably means _____.

A. making the photographer feel relieved

B. giving the photographer a chance to rest

C. disturbing the photographer when he is taking pictures

D. having the photographer taken away from his duty

55. What can we infer from the passage?

A. Women going to a wedding ceremony pay most attention to each other.

B. Spectators of a wedding ceremony are particularly interested in the groom.

C. Confetti is forbidden at the wedding ceremony because it is not all white.

D. If the bride is dressed all in white traditionally, she is considered beautiful.

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

"It's this time of year when the weather starts warming up and frogs start breeding - but they haven't been breeding," says John Wilkinson, research and monitoring officer at the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC).

Amphibians (两栖动物) are just one of the groups of animals that nature observers fear may have problems reproducing this year, as groundwater levels are even lower now than in the infamously dry summer of 1976, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). According to the UK's Centre for Hydrology and Ecology the average rainfall so far this winter has been the lowest since 1972.

"If ponds dry up totally," says Mr. Wilkinson, "you could have lots of dead tadpoles." Drier and windier conditions could also make it more difficult for juvenile amphibians to survive their journeys between wet habitats.

But Peter Brotherton, the biodiversity manager for Natural England, says that "drought is part of nature's cycle", and, at present, a lot of animals, plants and insects are still in hibernation. This means that the population picture is unclear. "However, when we get extreme events, we get animals dying," he says. "And what is worrying is that normally at this time of year we expect soil to be near saturation（湿润）after winter."

Charlie Kitchin, the RSPB's site manager of the Nene Washes in Cambridgeshire, says the 2,000-acre wetland and grassland area is now struggling following two winters with relatively little winter rain and no flooding. One species that could suffer, he says, is the black-tailed godwit（黑尾豫）. "There are only 50 breeding pairs in the country, and we have 40 of them, and everything is bone-dry," Mr Kitchin says.

But one bad nesting season, he says, is "not the end of the world". "One of the features of flood plains is that they're volatile anyway," he adds. "But if they fail to breed another year, the population is likely to dip again."

1.According to the passage animals may have problems reproducing this year mainly due to _____.

2.What really worries Peter Brotherton is that ________.

3.Which of the following is NOT true of Charlie Kitchin’s words?

4.The underlined word volatile in the last paragraph can be replaced by ________.

5.It can be learnt from the text that ______________.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

31. The cheering went on for quite some time _____ it died down and people took their seats again.

高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

It is football time again．Currently, the qualifying rounds are being played to decide which countries will send teams to the next World Cup．Some Soccer is becoming more and more popular on a worldwide scale and these qualifying legs are causing much excitement．

The game is popular at club level as well．Many fans go every week to support their teams, whether the event is a home or away one, hoping to get a result．They all hope an attacking game, with a lot of goals being scored．Obviously, they do not want to see a boring, defensive match where the players are aimlessly passing the ball to each other．

Sadly, not all the action always takes place on the ground．All too frequently, there is action in the stands, too．Football supporters, most of whom declare their loyalty , by wearing their team colors, in the form of shirts, are not known for their quiet behavior．They are often very noisy, shouting noisy encouragement to their team and singing deafening songs．

There is much rivalry between supporters．Mostly, this is good-natured, but trouble can easily arise．Fans get angry if they feel that a referee has made a wrong decision, perhaps giving one of their team a red or yellow card unfairly, or perhaps failing to notice a foul committed by a member of the other team．

When trouble breaks out in a football crowd, it can be difficult to control．Stadium officials often seat the opposing fans in separate parts of the ground as a precaution against fighting． However, preventing trouble is more difficult outside the ground．In the worst cases, riot （暴乱）police have to be called in．

Unfortunately, there are some fans who enjoy this violent aspect of football．These football hooligans （流氓） really enjoy a running battle with the police, and call up other people to throw stones and bottles at them．They regard football not only as a sport, but as an excuse for trouble makings．Inevitably, their behavior spoils the reputation of the game．

1.The qualifying rounds are played to ______．

A．make the game more exciting      B．attract soccer fans at club level

C．raise funds for the organization D．select the teams for the next rounds

2.What do football fans hope to see?

A．A home game．                        B．A defensive game．

C．An exciting game．                  D．An evenly matched game．

3.Riot police are called in ______．

A．to stop lighting occurring outside the ground

B．to separate the opposing fans inside the ground

C．as a precaution against trouble inside the ground

D．as a precaution against lighting outside the ground

4.It is implied in the last paragraph that ______．

A．football has a poor reputation

B．football hooligans are crazy about the games

C．football fans enjoy spoiling games

D．football can be an excuse for troublemaking

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

It is a matter of common observation that although money income keeps going up over the years, we never seem to become richer. Prices are rising continuously. This condition is what we call inflation: the money supply is becoming inflated so that each unit of it becomes less valuable. We have got used to higher and higher rates of inflation in recent years. What could be bought twenty years ago for one pound now costs well over 2 pounds. And at present this rate of inflation seems to be rising rather than falling. If in the real world our money incomes go up at the same rate as prices do. One might think that inflation doesn’t matter. But it does ------.When money is losing value it also loses one of the qualities of a good money—stability of value. It is no longer acceptable as a store of value; and it becomes an unsuitable means of delayed payment. Nobody wants to hold a wasting possession, so people try to get rid of money as quickly as possible. Inflation therefore simply stimulates（刺激）our spending and discourages saving.

1.From the passage we can know that inflation is a situation in which________.

2.．In the writer’s view, if incomes and prices rise at the same rate, ________.

3.．Under inflation people are likely to ________.

4.．We can conclude according to the passage that ________.

5.. Which of the following words is omitted at the end of the underlined sentence “But it does”?

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

It’s generally considered that being named as Time’s Person of the Year is a(n)________of one’s success.

A．recognition    B．realization    C．contribution   D．achievement

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

The fact is that your passport has been________.So you can't use it.

A．ahead of time　         B．up to date

C．out of reach　             D．out of date

高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

"Two weeks ago, I sat down and read the New York Times. I haven't done that in maybe thirty years. "says Howard Turman, OrCam user, in this CNN Techvideo. Turman, who is legally blind, started losing his vision when he was a child. The OrCam smart glasses for blind people do not fix his sight but they do "the next best thing". The Orcam uses OCR technology to read and relay the message to the user via a mini ear piece. Thanks to the device, Howard was able to enjoy the independence of reading the newspaper on his own.

Amnon Shashua, co-founder of OrCam, explains that reading text, recognizing faces and products is just the beginning with the Orcam. "Where we want to get is complete visual understanding at the level of human sense such that if you are disoriented you can start to understand what is around you."

OrCam has received many requests from people all over the world wanting the device in their language. Currently, the device works in English, Hebrew, German, French, and Spanish. The OrCam team is working very hard to add more languages and there are plans for new additions in the near future. Since the first device, new features have been added as well such as the pause feature allowing users to pause the reading whenever they would like.

Unlike other devices, the OrCam is portable. Turman says that the OrCam smart glasses for blind give him a sense of normalcy(常态) and he is very excited about them. "Picture a kid the first time he got his favorite toy, just the best thing that has happened to me in a long time, " says Turman. OrCam's goal is to make the device accessible to as many people as possible and help people who are visually impaired regain their independence.

1.What does OrCam help Howard Turman to do?

A.Find his way. B.Read newspapers.

C.Have his sight fixed. D.Hear what is happening around.

2.Which of the following best explains "disoriented" underlined in paragraph 2?

A.unconscious B.confused

C.lost D.determined

3.What can we infer from the third paragraph?

A.OrCam is in great demand.

B.OrCam can easily break down.

C.OrCam doesn't work well now.

D.OrCam fails in its use of languages.

4.What can be a suitable title for the text?

A.An Excited OrCam User.

B.Smart Glasses for the Blind.

C.Newspaper Reading for the Blind.

D.Help the Blind to Become Independent.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析