When many of us take a vacation, more than an...

When many of us take a vacation, more than anything, we seek to relax. We spend long, lazy days on a beach chair or in a hammock (吊床). But too often, we return home, very very tired.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Come home refreshed after an active trip! And you won’t be too tired!

Active vacations are often the most relaxing ones of all. We don’t expect you to take up jogging or backpacking. Rather, we ask the sedentary (惯于久坐不动的) vacationers to spend two to four hours a day doing things, such as walking in city streets, going to a zoo or biking beside the ocean.

These kinds of activities aren’t just good for your physical health. They improve your mental health and even your spiritual health. And they make vacations memorable and worthwhile.

Here are some fresh ideas to make your vacations as pleasurable as they are active and healthy.

◆A walk at dawn or dusk can make you feel or look young again. Try to make this a daily thing that is done regularly.

◆Don’t allow yourself to spend all your time sitting in front of the water.

◆Many of us spend a large part of our vacations on the road, either getting to and from our destinations, or using the car for sightseeing. But no matter how beautiful the scenery is, great memorable vacations don’t happen in a car seat.

1. What is the purpose of the passage?

A. To introduce the relationship between vacations and health.

B. To show us how to make our vacations relaxing.

C. To tell us where we should go for our vacations.

D. To explain to us why vacations can sometimes be boring.

2.What does the underlined word "refreshed" in Paragraph 2 mean?

A. In low spirits.　　 B. Pleasant or cool.

C. Feeling less tired. D. Feeling regretful.

3.In the last paragraph, the author seems to advise us 　　 .

A. to go on vacation by car

B. not to spend too much time on the road

C. to go camping to get close to the nature

D. to get out of the car for sightseeing

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

More than half of Americans do not take all their vacation days，even though they think they need one more holiday. And nearly a third of workers who take a break check their e­mails from the boss every other day and some even keep in touch hourly.

“We’re workaholics(工作狂)’，”said Samuel Nahmias.“From a general perspective，this has a lot to do with the economic situation in the US. More and more people are unemployed.”

With jobless numbers reaching 9.6 percent，people who have jobs seem to be unwilling to take time off.“It is not a great picture and that affects vacations. People are not going on vacation as much and those who are going on vacation are being more selective about where they are going.”Nahmias explained.

Unlike European countries where four or more weeks of holiday each year is normal,27 percent of people questioned in the poll said they had 6 to 10 days of annual leave and 20 percent had less than 3 days.With more people on unemployment lists in America，those still with jobs are facing more responsibility at work，which is reflected in their lack of time off.

The majority of workers who did not take time off mentioned too many responsibilities or stress at work，while some people said they simply did not have time to plan a holiday.“People are more conscious of what they are doing and when they are going on vacation because they don’t want to look bad in this situation，”Nahmias explained.

Technology is also playing a part with smartphones enabling workers to keep in contact in ways that were not possible before.It has to do with technology and the level of concern about what is going on in the office.

1.Americans don’t take all their vacation days because ________.

A．they devote themselves to the whole work

B．they are afraid that they may lose their jobs

C．they are asked to keep in touch with their bosses

D．they aren’t in need of holidays at all

2.What does Nahmias mean by saying the underlined words in Paragraph 3?

A．Travelling makes people unwelcome.

B．People are unwilling to go on short vacations.

C．The economic situation remains at a low point.

D．People are more selective about places of interest.

3.We can infer from Paragraph 4 that ________.

A．Unemployment rate is higer in America than that in Europe

B．European economic situation is better than that in America

C．Americans are more hard­working than Europeans

D．More people are losing their jobs in Europe

4.What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Americans are all workaholic.

B．Many Americans don’t choose to take vacations.

C．Unemployment is going from bad to worse.

D．US economic situation becomes worse and worse.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

――Did they offer us enough books?

――　_____ than we had expected.

A．Much more        B．Many more        C．Little more        D．Rather

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Many of us invest valuable time，energy and money planning our vacations. We do this because we know for sure that going on vacations must be good for us. Research proves this feeling without a doubt. Vacations help us perform better at work, improve our sleep quality and cushion us against depression.

Yet, despite these benefits, many of us return home with a feeling that our last vacation was OK --- but not great. In order to change this, some mistakes should be avoided. A classic one for vacation planners is attempting to maximize value for money by planning trips that have too many components (组成部分).Perhaps you’re planning a trip to Europe, seven cities in 10 days，and you realize it will cost only a little more to add two more destinations to the list. It sounds fine in theory, but hopping from one place to the next hardly gives an opportunity to experience what psychologists call mindfulness(留意) --- time to take in our new surroundings, time to be present and absorb our travel experiences. Another mistake is that we worry too much about strategic issues such as how to find a good flight deal，how to get from A to B，or which destinations to add or subtract from our journey. These issues may seem important, but our psychological state of mind is far more important.

Actually, vacation happiness is based on the following top rules. First, choose your travel companions wisely, because nothing contributes more significantly to a trip than the right companions. Second，don’t spend your vacation time in a place where everything is too expensive so as to keep a positive mood. Third, shop wisely, for meaningful experiences provide more long-term happiness than physical possessions.

高二英语填空题中等难度题查看答案及解析

We should feel grateful in our heart when we accept anything others sacrifice for us. However, we often unconsciously do the opposite, which may not be regarded as returning kindness with ingratitude, but have the equal power to harm each other. In particular, the closer the relationship is, the more determined we are.

Jennifer, my friend Randy's mother, is already over 70, poor eyesight and weak legs. But due to her character, she chose to live alone in the suburbs. No matter how busily Randy works, he would go there to visit her once or twice every week.

That day as soon as he parked his car, Randy smelt the delicious smell of meat coming from her mother's house. His mother said, “Your birthday is coming next week, so I'm preparing pork trotters (猪蹄) for you!” Seeing the steaming delicious trotters, he couldn’t help complaining, “I don't like these things at all, so fatty.”

On his way back, he called me, saying that he felt sorry. In fact, he longed to thank his mother and eat up that bowl of trotters. But he felt sorry that it took her too much time and energy. If he didn’t stop her strictly, he was afraid the same thing would continue. He would rather not eat trotters any more than have his mother overwork. I understand how he felt exactly. Each of us has done like that. Because of feeling sorry for others' sacrifice, we purposely harden our heart against accepting others' favor and even criticize them severely in order to frighten their goodness away and make them never do that again.

This method may work, but it will hurt each other's feelings. It's not wrong logically, but we always neglect another sound deep in our heart: because we're afraid we can't repay them, we're unwilling to shoulder others' goodness. So we reduce its value and refuse it severely. But to destroy others' goodness is also to deny you.

1.Randy refuse to eat the pork trotters his mother cooked because ____.

A. he disliked them at all

B. they were really very fatty.

C. they weren’t his favorite taste

D. he didn’t want her to overwork.

2.Randy telephoned the author to _____.

A. express his apology to his mother

B. complain about his mother

C. apologize for his rudeness

D. ask for a bowl of trotters.

3.According to the author, we sometimes say “no” to others' favor so that ______.

A. they can be frightened away

B. they won't continue doing that

C. we needn’t repay them later

D. we won't feel sorry for their sacrifice

4.In the last paragraph, the author implies that we should ____.

A. refuse others' favor immediately

B. deal with others' favor wisely

C. repay others' goodness actively

D. shoulder others' goodness completely.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Reports tell us that Americans work more and vacation less than people in other major industrial countries. Still，millions of Americans do try to get away from home for a week or two in the summer months. Some might even have the time and money to spend longer on vacation.

For example， many retired Americans can be found driving around the United States in big recreational vehicles，known as R. V. ’s. These serve as a home away from home. In fact，it might even be their only home as they see the country.

Some American families get in their cars and drive to historic places like Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. There，they can experience what life was like for early Americans. If that is not exciting enough， also in Williamsburg is a water park and an amusement park with rides.

Other Americans visit national parks like Yellowstone or Yosemite out in the West. They want to spend time with nature. Or they take their vacation by a lake or the ocean. They might swim or fish. But many just want to sit and enjoy the feeling of doing nothing，except maybe read a book.

Some families fly to other countries on vacation. Or they go on a cruise ship(大型游轮）and stop in different ports. Cruise ships are like floating cities.

But not everyone goes someplace special on vacation. This might be the only time for people to work on things like home improvement projects. And while they do that，they might think of all the fun their friends are having.

1.What can be the best title for the text?

A. Americans work more and vacation less.

B. Where Americans go on their summer vacations.

C. Different places for summer vacations.

D. Not all Americans take summer vacations.

2.If you want to spend time with nature，you can do the following things except　 ________.

A. to visit national parks　　 B. to see the country

C. to stay by a lake　　 D. to visit historic places

3.Which of the following is NOT true?

A. People choose different destinations depending on different interests.

B. People interested in history can have fun in Colonial Williamsburg.

C. All the people take vacations only to do nothing but relax themselves.

D. Not all Americans can afford time and money to go on a vacation.

4.What does the underlined sentence of the passage mean?

A. They fully enjoy doing their work on home improvement projects.

B. They think of their work at home as a special kind of vacation.

C. They can imagine what fun their friends are having on vacation.

D. They might envy their friends having time going on vacation.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

For more than twenty years scientists have been seeking to understand the mystery of the “sixth sense” of direction. By trying out ideas and solving problems one by one, they are now getting closer to one answer. One funny idea from observing animals in nature is that animals might have a built-in compass.

Many birds migrate(迁徙）twice a year between their summer homes and winter homes. Some of them fly for thousands of kilometers and mostly at night. Experiments have shown that some birds can recognize star patterns. But they can keep on course even under cloudy skies. How can they do that? A common bird that does not migrate but is great at finding its way home is the horning pigeon(鹤子）and they have been widely studied. One interesting experiment was to attach little magnets (磁铁，磁场）to the birds’ heads to block their magnetic sense — just as a loud radio can keep you from hearing a call to dinner. On sunny days, that did not fool the pigeons. Evidently they can use the　 sun to tell which way they are going. But on cloudy days, the pigeons with magnets could not find their way. It was as if the magnets had blocked their magnetic sense. Similar experiments with the same kind of results were done with honeybees.

In spite of the experiments, the idea of an animal compass seemed pretty extraordinary. How would animals get the magnetic stuff for a compass? An answer came from an unexpected source, A scientist was studying bacteria that lived in the mud of ponds. He found　 accidentally little rod-like bacteria that all swam together in one direction 一 north. In fact, the bacteria had made themselves into little magnets that could line up with the earth’s magnet.

The big news was that a living thing, even a simple bacterium，can make magnetite. That led to a search to see whether animals might have it. By using a special instrument, scientists were able to find magnetite in bees and birds，and even in fish. In each animal, except for the bee, the magnetic stuff was always in or close to the brain.

Thus, the idea of a built-in animal compass began to seem reasonable.

1.The main purpose of this passage is to 　　　　　 .

A. explain how the animal compass was invented

B. answer how an animal would get the magnetic stuff for a compass

C .introduce a famous experiment

D. prove the idea that animals might have a built-in compass

2.Which of the following can we infer from Paragraph 3?

A. The bacteria magnetic sense seemed to be the same as the earth’s.

B. The earth itself is a big magnet with which something magnetic might lines up

C. Little rod-like bacteria were found to swim north together through experiments.

D. Migrant birds can easily lose their way because of lacking magnetie.

3.The underlined words “keep on course” in the second paragraph means“

A.stay in the correct flying route

B.lose one’s way

C.remain calm

D.recognize star patterns

4.Where is probably the built-in magnet for a fish according to the scientists?

A.Close to its stomach. B.In its heart.

C.Far from its brain. 　 D.Inside its head.

高二英语听力第三部分中等难度题查看答案及解析

When we’re young children, many of us seem to have little trouble making new friends.1.. As adults, we tend to become more guarded with new people and have less time to devote to friendships. Consequently, most of us find it much harder to make new friends. If you’ve never experienced a close friendship, even as a child, you may find it even harder. But we all need and want good friends, even those of us who may sometimes pretend otherwise.

The need for friends is instinctual (本能的). Our survival used to depend on having friends to hunt and find food with, to help us build shelter and keep our families safe.2.They add meaning to life. They help you enjoy the good times and overcome the difficult ones. While strong relationships with friends can be a huge source of fun and pleasure, they are also important for your physical and emotional health.

Good friends can：

●3.

Even if it’s just having someone to share your problems with, friends can help you cope with serious illness, the loss of a job or loved one, the break­up of a relationship, or any other challenge in life.

● Help you to reach your goals.

Whether you’re trying to get fit, give up smoking, or otherwise improve your life, encouragement from a friend can really boost your willpower.4.

● Improve your mood.

Happiness can be infectious.5.

● Reduce stress and depression.

Having an active social life can benefit your immune system and help reduce isolation, a major factor for depression.

E. Yet they are less important nowadays.

F. It also increases your chances of success.

G. Today，good friends are just as important.

高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析

Why do many people take vacations frequently? We need to take time out from work to relax, and just be ourselves.1.We should all be allowed to leave our jobs behind us—at least for a few weeks each year—and just have fun. This might be something as simple as reading a good book in front of a warm fireplace through to traveling to the most interesting places on our planet. Whatever we fancy doing is worth taking time out for.As we know, workplace stress is on the rise.2.These include disease, depression and even death. We all seem to be running from one place to the next, never finding out where we want to go in the first place. I intend to break that trend in the coming days.3.I will sleep late, write, watch movies, drink the occasional glass of wine, and eat to my heart's content, ignoring calorie counting. My plan is to just enjoy the fleeting(飞逝的) moments of being alive.4.Spend your next vacation the way you want; Do what will restore your mental health. You're very valuable to the people who are close to you, and to those who depend on it. Like it or not, we are all interdependent（互相依存的）in this great life of ours. There's no doubt that you are valuable. Just remember that the next time you look at a mirror and take a deep breath. Remind yourself that there will never be anyone like you ever on this earth again.5.1you have to do is just ask yourself what you want to do.

A.Draw up a detailed plan so that you can see more.

B.With it come many health problems.

C.When you finally get home you'll be greatly refreshed.

D.Life is not all about work, or at least it shouldn't be.

E.And only you know how to take a vacation in your way.

F.I challenge each one of you to do the same.

G.For my next holiday, I will do all the things that I love doing.

高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析

Most of us spend our lives seeking the natural world. We go fishing, sit in the garden, have a picnic, live in the suburbs or go to the seaside. The most popular leisure activity in Britain is going for a walk. When joggers jog, they don't run the streets. Every one of them tend to go to the park or the river.

But despite this, our children are growing up nature­deprived(剥夺). I spent my boyhood climbing trees. These days, children are robbed of these ancient freedoms, due to problems like crime, traffic, the loss of the open spaces and strange new ideas about what is best for children, that is to say, things that can be bought, rather than things that can be found.

The truth is to be found elsewhere. A study in the US: families had moved to better housing and the children were assessed for ADHD—attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(多动症). Those whose accommodation had more natural views showed an improvement of 19%; those who had the same improvement in material surroundings but no nice view improved just 4%.

ADHD is one of the great problems of modern childhood. One study after another indicates that contact with nature gives huge benefits to ADHD children. However, we spend money on drugs rather than on green places.

The life of old people is measurably better when they have access to nature. The increasing concern for the growing population of old people is in quality rather than quantity of years. And study after study finds that a garden is the single most important thing in finding that quality. Even problems with crime and aggressive behaviour are reduced when there is contact with the natural world.

We need the wild world. It is essential to our well­being, our health and our happiness.

1.According to the author, people enjoy ________ to seek nature.

A．jogging on the street

B．sitting in the garden

C．shopping in the supermarket

D．running in the gym

2.From the second paragraph, we can see that ________.

A．adults deprive the children of their rights to approach nature

B．climbing trees will certainly do good to the children

C．children probably spend less time in nature nowadays

D．children tend to be happier as a result of their material satisfaction

3.In what way do people benefit from their contact with nature?

A．Children with ADHD can be cured.

B．A garden nearby improves the quality of old people's life.

C．Problems with crime and violent behaviour will easily be solved.

D．Children's performance at school is greatly improved.

4.What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Access to nature improves our life.

B．Nature treats children for ADHD.

C．Getting close to nature reduces crime.

D．Man can't live without natural areas.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析