A holiday is any day when people lay aside th...

A holiday is any day when people lay aside their ordinary duties and cares. The word comes from Old English. At first, holidays honored some holy(神的) events or persons. People in Great Britain and other countries speak of holidays as Americans speak of vacations.

Every nation has its special holidays. China observes New Year’s Day(January 1), May Day and National Day as legal(法定的) holidays, as it was on Oct. 1, 1949 that People’s Republic of China was founded. The Chinese have long celebrated the Chinese lunar year. In the United States, congress（国会） has declared several as legal days such as New Year's Day (January1), Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday, Washington's Birthday, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day and so on. Some holidays celebrate special events in the development of a country, such as Greece’s Independence Day, Italy’s Liberation Day and India’s Independence Day.

In the United States, banks and schools usually close on a legal holiday. When such a holiday falls on Sunday, the following Monday is often observed. Schools and organizations often observe days known as traditional holidays, although schools and businesses do not close then. Those holidays include Valentine's Day and Halloween.

1.Which of the following holidays has nothing to do with a country’s development?

A. China’s National Day

B. America’s Independence Day

C. Italy’s Liberation Day

D. Valentine’s Day

2.From the passage we can infer that _________.

A. Chinese will no longer observe the Spring Festival

B. Chinese and Americans share at least one holiday

C. students don’t have to go to school on any holiday

D. Americans can easily draw money from banks on legal days

3.If a legal holiday falls on Sunday, people usually celebrate on_________.

A. Sunday　　　　　　　　　　 B. the following Sunday

C. the following Monday　　 D. the following Tuesday

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Nowadays，there is a trend that more and more people spend their holidays in foreign countries.1.So read our travel tips that are simple and practical，and you can always enjoy your travels.

On a business card，write down the emergency contact's information and place it in your wallet.2.Give your emergency contact a copy of your travel plan，a passport data page，and the visa information. Give each piece of your luggage a unique look：tie a bright handkerchief to a handle or purchase a colored luggage tag.3.If you don't speak the local language，carry a matchbox，or a brochure with the name and address of your destination.4.

To avoid being a target of crime，don't wear eye catching clothing：dress conservatively (保守地)，and don't wear or carry obvious signs of wealth (gold watches，expensive jewelry and etc.) and don't carry more cash than necessary.5.

To make sure of a safe journey and avoid some unnecessary trouble when traveling in foreign countries，you could never be too careful.

A.Also，don't accept packages from strangers.

B.Once your wallet is stolen，you can let them know.

C.Good preparations can always help you out as well.

D.You can show it to taxi drivers when asking for directions.

E.It will be easier for you to keep track of your bag from a distance.

F.Of course everyone wants his travels to be trouble-free and enjoyable.

G.Include the name of anyone who should be contacted in an emergency.

高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析

Nowadays，there is a trend that more and more people spend their holidays in foreign countries.1.So read our travel tips that are simple and practical，and you can always enjoy your travels.

On a business card，write down the emergency contact's information and place it in your wallet.2.Give your emergency contact a copy of your travel plan，a passport data page，and the visa information. Give each piece of your luggage a unique look：tie a bright handkerchief to a handle or purchase a colored luggage tag.3.If you don't speak the local language，carry a matchbox，or a brochure with the name and address of your destination.4.

To avoid being a target of crime，don't wear eye catching clothing：dress conservatively (保守地)，and don't wear or carry obvious signs of wealth (gold watches，expensive jewelry and etc.) and don't carry more cash than necessary.5.

To make sure of a safe journey and avoid some unnecessary trouble when traveling in foreign countries，you could never be too careful.

A．Also，don't accept packages from strangers.

B．Once your wallet is stolen，you can let them know.

C．Good preparations can always help you out as well.

D．You can show it to taxi drivers when asking for directions.

E．It will be easier for you to keep track of your bag from a distance.

F．Of course everyone wants his travels to be trouble-free and enjoyable.

G．Include the name of anyone who should be contacted in an emergency.

高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析

On March 17, people around the world celebrate the Irish holiday of Saint Patrick’s Day. It is a major holiday in Ireland, but the rest of the world has influenced its celebration as much as the Irish themselves.

Most Americans think of Saint Patrick’s Day as a big party centered around drinking alcohol. But its beginnings in Ireland were religious, says Mike Cronin, a professor of Irish history with Boston College of Massachusetts.

Ireland is a mostly Roman Catholic country. Saint Patrick lived in Ireland more than 2,000 years ago. He is widely considered to have established Christianity in the country. The Church honored him with a holy day in the 17th century. March 17 marks the date of his death. The average Irish person honored March 17 quietly. Attending church services was the main activity. In fact, most businesses that served alcohol would close in honor of the day.

In the early 1900s, Ireland’s government made St. Patrick’s Day an official holiday. By the 1960s, towns across Ireland started celebrating the holiday with parades and music. In Ireland today, St. Patrick’s Day is a four-day public celebration that includes parades, music, food, and games.

For Irish people living outside Ireland, Saint Patrick’s Day became a chance to celebrate their Irish identity and culture. Now, countries and cities around the world celebrate March 17 in creative ways. Many countries hold Saint Patrick’s Day parades. Famous monuments, including the Great Wall of China, the Niagara Falls, and the Gateway of India in Mumbai will all be colored by green light for the day.

Cronin says that the worldwide popularity of Saint Patrick’s Day has helped the Irish government, which uses the holiday as a form of diplomacy. And for a small island of 4.5 to 5 million people it’s quite remarkable that they have that kind of soft power.

1.How did average Irish people celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day in the 17th century?

A. Drinking alcohol.　　 B. Parading in the streets.

C. Attending church services peacefully.　　 D. Coloring well-known monuments green.

2.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Saint Patrick’s Day is the most significant day in the US.

B. Saint Patrick’s Day plays a role in foreign affairs in Ireland today.

C. Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated worldwide today as in the 17th century.

D. On Saint Patrick’s Day, parades and parties are held throughout America.

3.What is the passage mainly about?

A. The origin of Saint Patrick’s Day.

B. The celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day.

C. The influence of Saint Patrick’s Day on the world.

D. The role of Saint Patrick’s Day in Irish diplomacy.

4.What is Cronin’s attitude towards the popularity of Saint Patrick’s Day?

A. Unclear.　　 B. Neutral.　　 C. Negative.　　 D. Positive.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Five people won the “China’s Green Figure” award, a title ______ to ordinary people for their contributions

to environmental protection.

A. being given　　　 　　　　 B. is given　　　 　　　　　 C. given　　 　　　　　　　　 D. was given

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Most ordinary people in Iraq are living in poverty and panic now. In other words, their basic rights aren’t _________.

A.performed B.reserved C.guaranteed D.confiscated

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

Young people almost never get a good press(评论) these days. “Their outlook is centered on trashy books and films,” expressed one citizen in a letter I recently came across in the Daily Mail. It seems that people have been complaining about the young since ancient times. However, the young are probably no worse than they’ve ever been. And I think they’re better. Teenagers today are brighter, more energetic, more outgoing, and more interesting than any generation before.

The truth is, we hear plenty of bad news about youth, but we never hear about the majority. Surely they all want to be footballers or attractive models? Not a bit of it. When research company Britain-Thinks examined teenagers attitudes earlier this year, they found that the most popular goal (shared by some 70 percent) was to “have a job you love”, followed by having a university degree, owning your own home and being in a happy, long-term relationship. It tallies with another study by the Institute for Economic and Social Research, which found that what made teenagers happiest wasn’t a new smart-phone or pair of shoes, but “the simple things in life” such as close friends, going swimming and spending time with their parents.

Indeed, the more you look at the young, the more impressive they seem. They are, of course, more technologically knowledgeable and skillful than any generation before them. But the interesting thing is that they’re not merely consumers; they’re creators. Think of all those young people developing their own websites or machines.

Seventeen-year-old Nick D’Aloisio is an example. He invented a news-summary app (应用程序)called Summly and sold it to Yahoo this year for a reported £18 million. The company offered him a job in California, but he turned it down. “I’ll be staying in London,” he explained. “I want to finish my A levels and I couldn’t really live on my own out there.”

Of course they aren’t perfect, and every generation has its fair share of bad apples. But I think our future is in safe hands.

1.The underlined part “tallies with” in Paragraph 2 probably means “　　　　　 ” .

A. leads to　　 B. focuses on

C. agrees with　　 D. belongs to

2.The example of the seventeen-year-old is to show that young people 　　　　　 .

A. Are quite creative　　 B. can find a job easily

C. can earn a living by themselves　　 D. are homesick for their hometown

3.What’s the author’s attitude towards the young generation?

A. Worried.　　 B. Surprised.

C. Uninterested.　　 D. Hopeful.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

According to the dictionary definition of ‘create’，ordinary people are creative every day. To create means to bring into being，to cause to exist something each of us does daily. We are creative whenever we look at or think about something in a new way.

First，this includes an awareness（意识）of our surroundings. It means using all of our senses to become aware of our world. This may be as simple as being aware of color and texture（质地），as well as taste， when we plan a meal. Above all，it is the ability to notice things that others might miss.

A second part of creativity is an ability to see relationships among things. If we believe the expression，there is nothing new under the sun，the creativity is remaking or recombining（重组）the old in new ways. For example，we might do this by finding a more effective way to study or a better way to arrange our furniture，or we might make a new combination of camera lenses and filters to create an unusual photograph.

A third part of creativity is the courage and drive to make use of our new ideas，to ask for them to achieve some new results. To think up a new idea is one thing；to put the idea to work is another. These three parts of creativity are included in all the great works of geniuses，but they are also included in many of our day to day activities.

1.Which of the following activities is NOT a creative one according to the passage？

A. To prepare for a meal.

B. To arrange the furniture in a special way.

C. To buy some books from a bookstore.

D. To write a letter with the computer.

2. There is nothing new under the sun really implies that __________.

A. a new thing can only be created at the basis of earliest things

B. a new thing is only a tale

C. we can seldom create new things

D. we can hardly see really new things in the world

3.What does the author think about the relationship between a new thought and its being put into practice？

A. It's more difficult to create a new thought than to use it in practice.

B. To find a new thought will clearly lead to the production of a new thing.

C. A man with an excellent ability of practice can easily become an inventor.

D. One may come up with a new thought，but can not put it into practice.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Birds Can “Read” Human Gaze

We all know that people sometimes change their behavior when someone is looking their way. Now, a new study reported online on April 2nd in Current Biology shows that jackdaws (寒鸦) — birds related to crows with eyes that appear similar to human eyes — can do the same.

“Jackdaws seem to recognize the eye’s role in visual perception (视觉), or at the very least they are extremely sensitive to the way that human eyes are directed,” said Auguste von Bayern, formerly of the University of Cambridge and now at the University of Oxford.

When presented with a preferred food, hand-raised jackdaws took longer to get the reward when a person was directing his eyes towards the food than when he was looking away, according to the research team led by Nathan Emery of the University of Cambridge and Queen Mary University of London. The birds hesitated only when the person was not known to them and thus potentially threatening.

In addition, the birds were able to understand human communicative gestures, such as stare change and pointing, to help them find hidden food, they found. The birds were unsuccessful in using unmoving signals, including eye stare or head direction.

Unlike most birds, jackdaws’ eyes have a dark pupil (瞳孔) surrounded by a silvery white iris (虹膜). The researchers said they believe jackdaws are probably sensitive to human eyes because, as in humans, eyes are an important means of communication for them. The hand-raised birds examined in the study may be even better than wild jackdaws at attending to human stare and responding to the gestures of the people who have raised them.

The findings are particularly notable given that most other species examined so far, including our closest relatives, the chimpanzee and “man’s best friend,” the dog, are not particularly sensitive to eye direction and eye stare, von Bayern said. Rather, she continued, chimps and dogs seem to rely on other signals such as head or body direction in determining the looking direction of others. The results suggest that birds may deserve more respect for their mental abilities.

“We may have understated the psychological world of birds,” von Bayern said. “Jackdaws, among many other birds, form pair ties for life and need to have much in common and work together with their partner, which requires an efficient way of communicating and sensitivity to their partner’s viewpoint.”

1.A hand-raised jackdaw hesitates to take a preferred food when the feeder ______.

A. is unfamiliar to the bird　　 B. is looking away from the food

C. holds the food in his hand　　 D. is looking at the food

2.According to the researchers, jackdaws can notice human eye direction probably because ______.

A. their eyes also have a dark pupil

B. they are far more intelligent than other birds

C. they are mostly hand-raised by humans

D. like humans, they also use eyes to communicate

3.Why does the author refer to chimpanzees and dogs?

A. To suggest that they are much better at understanding stare change.

B. To make clear that they rely on other means in determining people’s intention.

C. To show that they communicate more frequently with humans than jackdaws.

D. To reflect how unique jackdaws are in being able to notice stare direction.

4.What does the research finding suggest?

A. We know embarrassingly less about birds than we assume.

B. Not all jackdaws are good at attending to human stare.

C. We may have understated jackdaws’ mental abilities.

D. The closer we communicate with animals, the better we understand them.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

----- It’s too strange that these people should laugh when their relatives die.

----- That is the local custom ______ the seventeenth century.

A. dates back to　　　 B. dated back to

C. dating back to　　 D. had dated back to

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析