Getting ripped off from time to time is just ...

Getting ripped off from time to time is just part of traveling---don’t let it ruin your day or your overall experience. But there are things you can do to avoid some of the most common rip-offs. Let me share my travel tips for how to avoid hidden fees, disappointed experiences and overpriced items.

Baggage Fees

Depending upon the airline, you can pay $15 to $75 for the first checked bag, and more for overweight bags. When possible, pack a bag lightly enough to a carry-on or fly airlines that still allow free checked bags(two bags for Southwest and one for JetBlue). Many airline programs allow members with a high status to have a free checked bag, so check your status.

Overpriced Hotel and Airport Food

To avoid the overpriced water sold at airports, bring an empty water bottle with you through security at the airport. Then, fill it up at a water fountain or ask a waiter at a coffee shop to fill it up for you. Pick up some snacks at a local corner store instead of hitting the hotel room mini bar, which can lead to expensive surprises on your final bill.

Tourist Trap Restaurants

If you’re visiting a restaurant or attraction that has online presence, Google it or search it on Yelp to see what the locals say about it and to find any available coupons(优惠券) that might get some extra savings. Often restaurants run deals on Yelp where if you “check in” at that restaurant and review it, you get a free dessert or 15% off the total bill, etc. By researching online, you’ll not only see whether there are any coupons or extra savings available, but people will tell you if the chef changed a month ago and the food is awful now.

1.To have a free checked bag, you shall not_______.

A. take a light carry-on　　 B. have a high status

C. take overweight bags　　 D. choose Southwest Airlines

2.If you want to drink free water at an airport, you can______.

A. take a bottle of water through security

B. go to a water fountain

C. go to a store at the airport

D. order a coffee at a coffee shop

3.The passage is probably written by______.

A. a travel agent

B. an economical person

C. an experienced traveler

D. a skilled net-worker

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Temperature is part of my married romance. 36  to New York from Baltimore——where there is just one small snowstorm each year——I was seated by a fireplace in my new home, with fires 37  all day, just as what ancient people did at a wedding.

My husband, Peter, comes from northern Ontario（加拿大的安大略省）, where winter 38  from September to May and cold wind is 39 . “When Canadians have -30℃, they 40  it bravely,” he says, “Cold wind is for crybabies.（爱哭的人）”

So to marry this man I had to learn to 41  for serious cold. To get me from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor to Albany’s frozen Hudson, Peter piled me 42  jackets and sweaters, scarves and gloves, even a hat with earflaps. The gift of Sorel boots——comfortably warm at Canada’s 30 below, was a 43  meaning getting serious.

That first winter together, living in upstate New York, I thought I’d 44 . My boots were good below freezing, but my fingers could 45  tie them. Physical adaptation is real, but it came slowly. And there is also emotional 46  to cold. Some days I tell myself that I have enough beach memories to stick to on 47   days and other days I am reminded that living cold does indeed build 48 .

49 , having a warm house is important. After my first marriage ended, for years I 50  went on a second date with a man whose response to my “I’m cold.” was, “Put on a sweater.” Now I’m married to a man who 51  that cold hands do not mean a warm heart, and that a big oil bill is better than roses. But surprisingly, I’ve grown, too. I am 52 , in this new life and climate, to go and look for that cost-saving sweater.

The word comfortable did not 53  refer to being satisfied. It’s from Latin, comfortare, meaning to strengthen. The Holy Spirit is Comforter；not to make us comfortable, but to make us 54 . We 55  not be warm but we are indeed comforted.

1.A.    Coming                    B.    Having been coming

C.  To come               D.    Came

2.A.    lightning   B.  burning     C.  going       D.  flashing

3.A.    appears     B.  starts      C.  keeps       D.  runs

4.A.    something   B.  everything  C.  nothing     D.  none

5.A.    suggest     B.  face            C.  neglect     D.  love

6.A.    drink       B.  receive     C.  dress       D.  ride

7.A.    under       B.  over        C.  inside      D.  with

8.A.    remark      B.  sign            C.  comment D.  show

9. A.   sleep                     B.    forget

C.  die                      D. continue

10. A.  hardly      B.  easily      C.  tightly     D.  loosely

11.A.   health                    B.    reaction

C.  feelings                  D.    adaptation

12.A.   rainy       B.  freezing        C.  sunny       D.  happy

13.A.   character                 B.    love

C.  hope                      D.    hardship

14.A.   Meanwhile                 B.    However

C.  Therefore                 D.    Besides

15.A.   merely      B.  ever        C.  never       D.  just

16.A.   wonders B.  knows       C.  states      D.  decides

17.A.   unable                    B.    accustomed

C.  interested                D.    willing

18.A.   originally  B.  exactly     C.  actually        D.  namely

19.A.   wild        B.  cold        C.  strong      D.  warm

20.A.   will            B.  must        C.  can         D.  may

高二英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Have you ever thought of getting in touch with your inner child from time to time? Obviously some people are willing to pay big money for the chance to do so in a proper environment．A Brooklyn-based adult preschool is charging customers between $333 and $999 for the chance to act like a kid again．

At Preschool Mastermind in New York adults get to participate in show-and-tell，arts-and-crafts such as finger paint，games like musical chairs and even take naps．The month-long course also has class picture day where the adults are expected to have a field trip and a parent day．

30-year-old Michelle Joni Lapidos，the brain behind the adult preschool，studied childhood education and has always wanted to be a preschool teacher．She’s always on the lookout for new ways to get people in touch with the freedom of childhood．A friend encouraged her to start the mastermind course instead．

According to Candice，her blogger friend，Preschool Mastermind gives adults a chance to relearn and master the things that they failed to understand as children．“I realized all the significances of what we learn in preschool，”said founder Michelle Joni，“People come here and get in touch with their inner child．It’s magical．We are bringing ourselves back to another place，another time with ourselves when we are more believing in ourselves，more confident and ready to take on the world．”

“One person’s here because they want to learn not to be so serious．”Michelle said．“Another's here to learn to be more confident．”She explained that most of the classes were planned．However，Joni added that while the planned activities were fun，it was often the spontaneous(自发的)moments that attracted students．“It’s the things you don’t plan for，the sharing between friends and learning from each other．’’

1.What is the purpose of Preschool Mastermind?

A．To give adults a chance to return to childhood．

B．To help parents understand their children better．

C．To provide practical training courses for teachers．

D．To introduce some ways of playing with children．

2.What is mainly discussed about Preschool Mastermind in Paragraph 2 ?

A．Its customers． 　　　　 　　 B．Its activities．

C．Its environment． 　　　　　 D．Its schedule·

3.According to Candice，people come to this program to________.

A．enjoy freedom of thinking

B．realize their childhood dreams

C．discover their inner abilities

D．figure out childhood puzzles

4.What do we know about Michelle Joni?

A．She used to be a preschool teacher．　

B．She likes to make plans in advance．

C．She founded Preschool Mastermind．

D．She gained confidence by sharing．

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

EACH of us fails from time to time. If we are wise, we accept these failures as a necessary part of the learning process. But all too often we convey to our children either by words or by actions that failure is something to be ashamed of, that nothing but top performance meets our approval.

Donnie was my youngest third-grader. His fear of failure kept him from classroom games that other children played excitedly. He seldom answered questions – he might be wrong. He seldom finished his work because he repeatedly checked with me to be sure he hadn’t made a mistake.

I tried my best to build his self-confidence. But nothing changed until midterm, when Mary Anne, a student teacher, was assigned to our classroom. She was young and pretty, and she loved children. My pupils, Donnie included, adored her. But even enthusiastic, loving Mary was baffled by this little boy who feared he might make a mistake.

Then one morning we were working math problems. Donnie had copied the problems with painstaking neatness and filled in answers for the first row. Pleased with his progress, I left the children with Mary. But when I returned, Donnie was in tears. He’d missed the third problem.

Mary looked at me in despair. Suddenly her face brightened. From the desk we shared, she got a canister (小筒) filled with pencils.

“Look, Donnie,” she said, “I’ve got something to show you.” She removed the pencils and placed them on his desk. “See these pencils, Donnie?” she continued. “They belong to Mrs. Lindstrom and me. See how the erasers are worn? That’s because we make mistakes too. Lots of them. But we erase the mistakes and try again. That’s what you must learn to do, too.”

She kissed him and continued: “I’ll leave one of these pencils on your desk so you’ll remember that everybody makes mistakes, even teachers.” Donnie looked up with love in his eyes and just a glimmer (少许) of a smile.

The pencil became Donnie’s prized possession. That, together with Mary Anne’s frequent encouragement and praise for even Donnie’s small successes, gradually persuaded him that it’s all right to make mistakes – as long as you erase them and try again.

1. The word “baffled” in Paragraph 3 most probably means __________.

A. eased　　 B. confused　 C. defeated　 D. impressed

2. Which of the following words best describe Mary Anne as she is shown in the article?

A. Patient and inspiring.　　 B. Creative and modest.

C. Determined and strict.　 D. Considerate and proud.

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article?

A. Each of us should try our best to be a perfectionist.

B. Donnie rarely finished his work because he seldom answered questions and thus had difficulties.

C. The story was written mainly to sing high praise for Mary Anne.

D. The author seems to believe that failure is an opportunity to learn and make progress.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

—The plane is due to take off at 7:50 from the airport. ______ we fail to arrive there in time?

—Try to take another flight then.

A. As if　　　　 B. Even if　　　　 C. Only if　　 D. What if

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

–The plane is due to take off at 7:50 from the airport.

–________ we fail to arrive there in time.    –Try to take another flight then.

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

I moved from Chicago to Brooklyn in July of 2010, just in time to watch my mother die. Our parents were both gone now. I took with me as many things they had left behind as I could.

I was out walking one Saturday later that summer when something caught my eye - a pale green dress. Laid out on the pavement was stuff like earrings, glass candle-holders, books. Hanging on the fence behind were a few pairs of jeans and a green cotton dress.

The woman, the host of the stoop (门廊）sale, looked like she was getting rid of a past she didn’t need or want. A dress that was too big for her. A chest of drawers that took up too much space, space she needed, maybe, to heal , recover, or grow.

I wasn’t planning on buying anything really, but now I needed to show her that I appreciated her things and I would give them a safe home. Then I had my first stoop sale —I paid her 20 dollars for her green cotton dress and her blue candle-holder.

From that day on, I became interested in stoop sales. Some of my favorite things are from someone else’s life. I find no joy in shopping at regular stores any more. I love trying to sniff out a memory from a bud vase or a drawer. It is comforting to know that someone has breathed and laughed inside a sweater before me.

A few weeks ago, I carried my mother’s dresses to a friend’s stoop. These were her best items, which were once worn by the most important person in my life. For many hours, I watched from across the path people advancing the stoop, some leaving with Mom1S dress. I used to think that her stuff was as forever sacred (神圣的）as my memory of her, I know now that once I love a scarf or shirt too dearly, it needs to find a new home. Even that green dress is long gone by now.

1.The author took her mother’s dresses after her death because ______

A. she valued the things used by her mom

B. she didn’t want to throw them, away

C. she could sell them later

D. they were her mom’s best items

2.From the passage, we know that ______.

A. the things the author bought from the woman are too big

B. the author is fond of imagining others’ life experiences

C. the author will never shop at regular stores any more

D. the author still keeps most of her mom’s things

3.In the last paragraph, the author tries to tell us that ______.

A. her mom is the number one person in her life

B. she didn’t really want to sell her mom’s dresses

C. she still thinks of her mother quite often

D. love doesn’t mean holding on to something tightly

4.It can be inferred that the author will ______.

A. not sell her own things at stoop sales

B. keep her mom in her mind in another way

C. be sad about all the memory of her mom

D. move to another city for a new life

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A.I. (人工智能) is just starting to become part of our lives, and books and movies have been talking about A.I. and robots for years. Mostly, in these books and movies,  the computers and robots turn out to be the enemies of  the human race. Here is a selection of some famous A.I.  movies..

2001: A Space Odyssey

In the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, HAL is one of the first computers to talk like a human.  HAL is very frightening because it speaks in a calm voice as it goes on a killing spree (疯狂杀戮). When the astronauts attempt to hide in a smaller spaceship and switch off the microphones,  HAL uses a camera to read their lips and understand what the astronauts are saying.

The Terminator

In The Terminator, a computer thinks that its deadly enemies are human beings.  As a result,  the computer launches missiles (导弹) to start international wars and then builds killer robots to destroy the human race.

The Matr/x

In The Matrix,  a computer takes over the world and uses human beings for energy.   The computer keeps people alive by making them think that they are still living normal lives. A few brave rebels (叛逆者) decide to fight against the computer.

Star War movies

In the Star War movies,  computerised robots are used as servants and soldiers. R2-D2, a small cylindrical (圆柱形的) robot, and C-3PO, a tall talking robot, help some humans defeat the evil ruler,  Darth Vader,  in a dangerous battle between the forces of good and evil.

1.In the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, the astronauts switch off the microphones to

A. prevent HAL hearing whom they axe calling

B. prevent HAL hearing what they are saying

C. force HAL to use a camera

D. force HAL to speak loudly

2.If you want to know how an intelligent computer uses human beings for energy, you should watch __

A. The Terminator.

B. 2001: A Space Odyssey'

C. Star War movies

D. The Matrix

3.R2-D2 and C-3PO stand for

A. the scientific forces

B. the natural forces

C. the good forces

D. the evil forces

4.What do the four movies have in common?

A. They all have the same ending.

B. They are about a similar theme.

C. They are all based on science fiction books.

D. They started heated discussions about A.I.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A.I. (人工智能) is just starting to become part of our lives, and books and movies have been talking about A.I. and robots for years. Mostly, in these books and movies,  the computers and robots turn out to be the enemies of  the human race. Here is a selection of some famous A.I.  movies..

2001: A Space Odyssey

In the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, HAL is one of the first computers to talk like a human.  HAL is very frightening because it speaks in a calm voice as it goes on a killing spree (疯狂杀戮). When the astronauts attempt to hide in a smaller spaceship and switch off the microphones,  HAL uses a camera to read their lips and understand what the astronauts are saying.

The Terminator

In The Terminator, a computer thinks that its deadly enemies are human beings.  As a result,  the computer launches missiles (导弹) to start international wars and then builds killer robots to destroy the human race.

The Matr/x

In The Matrix,  a computer takes over the world and uses human beings for energy.   The computer keeps people alive by making them think that they are still living normal lives. A few brave rebels (叛逆者) decide to fight against the computer.

Star War movies

In the Star War movies,  computerised robots are used as servants and soldiers. R2-D2, a small cylindrical (圆柱形的) robot, and C-3PO, a tall talking robot, help some humans defeat the evil ruler,  Darth Vader,  in a dangerous battle between the forces of good and evil.

1, In the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, the astronauts switch off the microphones to

A. prevent HAL hearing whom they axe calling

B. prevent HAL hearing what they are saying

C. force HAL to use a camera

D. force HAL to speak loudly

2. If you want to know how an intelligent computer uses human beings for energy, you should watch __

A. The Terminator.

B. 2001: A Space Odyssey'

C. Star War movies

D. The Matrix

3. R2-D2 and C-3PO stand for

A. the scientific forces

B. the natural forces

C. the good forces

D. the evil forces

4. What do the four movies have in common?

A. They all have the same ending.

B. They are about a similar theme.

C. They are all based on science fiction books.

D. They started heated discussions about A.I.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Rules of safety are made to keep people from getting hurt. It is important for everyone to learn how to live safely while at home, work, or play. You should always remember this. Put safety first.

Safety can be practiced at home by following some simple rules. Use ladders instead of stepping up on tables and chairs. Keep stairs well lighted and clear of things for someone to trip over. Fasten down loose rugs. Turn handles of pots inward from the edges of stoves. Keep matches and medicines out of the reach of small children.Keep electric wiring in good repair.

Safety at work has been getting attention from groups of people for many years. Safer machines have been built to cut down on accidents.  Red  lights  warn  when equipment is out of order and is not to be used. The proper shoes, gloves, robes, hats, or coats help protect workers on the job.

Safety at play is important, too. Children should use swings and slides properly. Common sense by people boating and swimming will also help everyone around stay safe. Good manners and care for others are part of safety.

Living safely can be fun for you as well as for those around you, You will be able to help others think before they act. Try to work for safety in everything you do.

1.Which of the following statements is not included in the rules listed in the passage?

2.The first sentence in the third paragraph implies______.

3.From the last paragraph we know that_____.

4.This passage mainly teaches us_______.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析