New York City is a world capital in every sense of the word—it's a cultural and economic powerhouse, and arguably the most influential city on the planet. But it wasn't always this way, as the following cities once dominated the world around them.
DjenneDjenno
In the flood lands of the Niger delta people have been building houses and other structures with clay for centuries. The town of DjenneDjenno is made entirely out of clay. It was inhabited as far back as 250 BC, and became an important link in the transSaharan gold trade(跨撒哈拉黄金交易). Constructed on hills called “toguere”, the city managed to escape the marshy(沼泽的) landscape and annual floods produced by the rainy season. DjenneDjenno is believed to be one of the earliest settlements in the subSaharan region, and is considered by some to be “the typical African City”.
Archeological evidence shows us a continuous human presence in the area up until the 14th century AD, when people moved to the nearby town of Djenne, founded in the 11th century. Further evidence points out that even before the city's construction, the Bozo people were growing wild rice in the region. In the 13th century AD, with King Koumboro's conversion to Islam, its palace transformed into a mosque.
Carthage
Legend has it that Carthage was founded by Queen Dido of the Phoenicians. She fled the city of Tyre located in presentday Lebanon in order to escape the hatred of her brother Pygmalion, who was her rival to the throne. Along with a group of settlers, she traveled a great distance by sea and landed in North Africa, where she met King Iarbas. He offered to give them land in order to build a settlement, but no bigger than the surface covered by the hide(牛皮) of an ox. They cleverly cut the hide into thin strips and were able to enclose a fairly large area of land. On this land, the mighty city of Carthage was built.
These stories are most likely just that, but the fact that the Phoenicians built the city around 760 BC is true. Located in such a good position—in the middle of the Mediterranean, close to Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica, and a pretty good distance from Egypt—helped make Carthage a leading trade center and military power. The population soon reached half a million citizens and, in order to house them all, buildings were all built five or six stories tall. Carthage was the first city in ancient times to have a centralized sewage system, linking all buildings within the city walls. The most notable of structures among the ruins was the “Thophet”, which is believed to be an altar(圣坛) for child sacrifice.
Tenochtitlan
Tenochtitlan was the capital city of the Aztec Empire. It was built on an island surrounded by Lake Texcoco deep inside the jungles of Central America. By the time the Spanish conquerors were aware of its existence, the population was around 200,000. This was a city very different from what the Europeans were used to. Founded in 1325 AD, the Aztec capital was joined to the mainland by three causeways(堤道). It was laid out in straight street grids and had enormous pyramids at its center, which were surrounded by the skulls of the dead and ceremonial sculptures.
1.What do we know about the ancient cities?
A. Tenochtitlan was the first city to link all buildings within the city walls using a centralized sewage system.
B. Carthage was considered to have played an important role in the transSaharan gold trade.
C. There was no doubt that Carthage was founded by Queen Dido of the Phoenicians.
D. According to some people, the city DjenneDjenno is “a typical African city”.
2.The passage is most probably taken from ________.
A. a news report B. a science fiction C. a history book D. a research paper
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
New York City is a world capital in every sense of the word—it's a cultural and economic powerhouse, and arguably the most influential city on the planet. But it wasn't always this way, as the following cities once dominated the world around them.
DjenneDjenno
In the flood lands of the Niger delta people have been building houses and other structures with clay for centuries. The town of DjenneDjenno is made entirely out of clay. It was inhabited as far back as 250 BC, and became an important link in the transSaharan gold trade(跨撒哈拉黄金交易). Constructed on hills called “toguere”, the city managed to escape the marshy(沼泽的) landscape and annual floods produced by the rainy season. DjenneDjenno is believed to be one of the earliest settlements in the subSaharan region, and is considered by some to be “the typical African City”.
Archeological evidence shows us a continuous human presence in the area up until the 14th century AD, when people moved to the nearby town of Djenne, founded in the 11th century. Further evidence points out that even before the city's construction, the Bozo people were growing wild rice in the region. In the 13th century AD, with King Koumboro's conversion to Islam, its palace transformed into a mosque.
Carthage
Legend has it that Carthage was founded by Queen Dido of the Phoenicians. She fled the city of Tyre located in presentday Lebanon in order to escape the hatred of her brother Pygmalion, who was her rival to the throne. Along with a group of settlers, she traveled a great distance by sea and landed in North Africa, where she met King Iarbas. He offered to give them land in order to build a settlement, but no bigger than the surface covered by the hide(牛皮) of an ox. They cleverly cut the hide into thin strips and were able to enclose a fairly large area of land. On this land, the mighty city of Carthage was built.
These stories are most likely just that, but the fact that the Phoenicians built the city around 760 BC is true. Located in such a good position—in the middle of the Mediterranean, close to Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica, and a pretty good distance from Egypt—helped make Carthage a leading trade center and military power. The population soon reached half a million citizens and, in order to house them all, buildings were all built five or six stories tall. Carthage was the first city in ancient times to have a centralized sewage system, linking all buildings within the city walls. The most notable of structures among the ruins was the “Thophet”, which is believed to be an altar(圣坛) for child sacrifice.
Tenochtitlan
Tenochtitlan was the capital city of the Aztec Empire. It was built on an island surrounded by Lake Texcoco deep inside the jungles of Central America. By the time the Spanish conquerors were aware of its existence, the population was around 200,000. This was a city very different from what the Europeans were used to. Founded in 1325 AD, the Aztec capital was joined to the mainland by three causeways(堤道). It was laid out in straight street grids and had enormous pyramids at its center, which were surrounded by the skulls of the dead and ceremonial sculptures.
1.What do we know about the ancient cities?
A. Tenochtitlan was the first city to link all buildings within the city walls using a centralized sewage system.
B. Carthage was considered to have played an important role in the transSaharan gold trade.
C. There was no doubt that Carthage was founded by Queen Dido of the Phoenicians.
D. According to some people, the city DjenneDjenno is “a typical African city”.
2.The passage is most probably taken from ________.
A. a news report B. a science fiction C. a history book D. a research paper
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Hundreds of students from around the world gathered in New York City last week for the Microsoft Imagine Cup finals. They came to present their ideas for using technology to solve world problems.
Microsoft education director Suzi Levine says the nine-year-old program began mainly as a competition to create technology.
SUZI LEVINE: "When we realized that students really actually want to have a purpose for what they're creating, we introduced the idea of inspiring them with the UN Millennium Development Goals and suggesting that they use those for their muse(灵感). "This past year we also rolled out something called the Imagine Cup Solve This library(创新杯求解计划知识库), where IGOs, NGOs and nonprofits can submit some of the technical challenges that they would like students to consider for their solutions."
Microsoft says over 350,000 high school and college students registered for this year's competition. Judges chose more than four hundred of them to attend the finals.
SUZI LEVINE: "One from Thailand was called NewKrean, where they created a Windows Phone 7 application that allows you to broadcast your location to your social network of friends so that you can be more easily rescued." They named their application Terra.
Suzi Levine says there were also ideas from Egypt inspired by the revolution that overthrew president Hosni Mubarak in February.
SUZI LEVINE: "One was to use Bluetooth as sort of a Twitter equivalent so that if the government shuts down the Internet, you actually can still have a massive social distribution."
Students competed in nine categories. For example, in software design the top prize of twenty-five thousand dollars went to Team Hermes from Ireland. The students developed a device for cars to collect information on road conditions, driving behavior and traffic incidents.
A team from Taiwan's National Tsing Hua University won first place in the embedded(内嵌的) development category. They developed a network of wireless devices to help plot the safest escape routes during a fire.
Next year's awards ceremony will take place in Australia. Registration for Imagine Cup twenty-twelve opened Friday. Also, Microsoft announced plans for a three million dollar program to help Imagine Cup winners further develop their projects.
1.Which of the following is true ?
A.The program is sponsored by Microsoft.
B.Next year, the awards ceremony will be held in New York City.
C.Any high school or college student can attend the finals.
D.The initial purpose of the program is to solve world problems using technology.
2. What can we infer from the third paragraph?
A.The UN offers great help to the program.
B.Microsoft sets up a library for the students who want to achieve their goals.
C.IGOs, NGOs and nonprofits also provide help for the students.
D.Microsoft takes effective measures to inspire the students.
3.What does the underlined word “overthrew ” in Paragraph 6 mean ?
A. Abandoned B.Supported C.Drove away D.Overturned
4.What can we know from Paragraph 7?
A.They want to replace Bluetooth with Twitter.
B.They want to combine Bluetooth with Twitter.
C.They want to replace Twitter with Bluetooth.
D.Twitter can still be used without the Internet.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Hundreds of students from around the world gathered in New York City last week for the Microsoft Imagine Cup finals. They came to present their ideas for using technology to solve world problems.
Microsoft education director Suzi Levine says the nine-year-old program began mainly as a competition to create technology.
SUZI LEVINE: "When we realized that students really actually want to have a purpose for what they're creating, we introduced the idea of inspiring them with the UN Millennium Development Goals and suggesting that they use those for their muse(灵感). "This past year we also rolled out something called the Imagine Cup Solve This library(创新杯求解计划知识库), where IGOs, NGOs and nonprofits can submit some of the technical challenges that they would like students to consider for their solutions."
Microsoft says over 350,000 high school and college students registered for this year's competition. Judges chose more than four hundred of them to attend the finals.
SUZI LEVINE: "One from Thailand was called NewKrean, where they created a Windows Phone 7 application that allows you to broadcast your location to your social network of friends so that you can be more easily rescued." They named their application Terra.
Suzi Levine says there were also ideas from Egypt inspired by the revolution that overthrew president Hosni Mubarak in February.
SUZI LEVINE: "One was to use Bluetooth as sort of a Twitter equivalent so that if the government shuts down the Internet, you actually can still have a massive social distribution."
Students competed in nine categories. For example, in software design the top prize of twenty-five thousand dollars went to Team Hermes from Ireland. The students developed a device for cars to collect information on road conditions, driving behavior and traffic incidents.
A team from Taiwan's National Tsing Hua University won first place in the embedded(内嵌的) development category. They developed a network of wireless devices to help plot the safest escape routes during a fire.
Next year's awards ceremony will take place in Australia. Registration for Imagine Cup twenty-twelve opened Friday. Also, Microsoft announced plans for a three million dollar program to help Imagine Cup winners further develop their projects.
1.Which of the following is true ?
A. The program is sponsored by Microsoft.
B .Next year, the awards ceremony will be held in New York City.
C. Any high school or college student can attend the finals.
D. The initial purpose of the program is to solve world problems using technology.
2.What can we infer from the third paragraph?
A. The UN offers great help to the program.
B. Microsoft sets up a library for the students who want to achieve their goals.
C. IGOs, NGOs and nonprofits also provide help for the students.
D. Microsoft takes effective measures to inspire the students.
3.What does the underlined word “overthrew ” in Paragraph 6 mean ?
A. Abandoned B. Supported C. Drove away D. Overturned
4.What can we know from Paragraph 7?
A. They want to replace Bluetooth with Twitter.
B. They want to combine Bluetooth with Twitter.
C. They want to replace Twitter with Bluetooth.
D. Twitter can still be used without the Internet.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
| Affordable Boutique Hotels in New York City By STEPHEN HEYMAN June 20, 2010 A new breed of hotels is trying to stand out from the masses with designer details, memorable allowances and prices around $250 a night. Welcome to Boutique Hotel. |
| To Get Those Summer Tickets in New York, Strategize By FELICIA R. LEE May 28, 2010 “The Merchant of Venice” is on show. Tickets can now be requested online, Most New Yorkers know the drill: on the day of the show, line up outside the Theater in Central Park several hours before 1 p.m., when free tickets start being handed out. |
| Climbing the Walls in Brooklyn By LOUISE STORY May 28, 2010 Since opening last fall, Brooklyn Boulders, an 18,000-square-foot gym, has become a destination for New York rock climbers of all levels. |
| Hotel Review: Ace Hotel, New York By FRED A. BERNSTEIN September 27, 2009 The owners are hoping that guests will enjoy the spacious accommodations, but that depends on whether they find the hotel’s oddities off-putting or endearing. |
| Tent City: A Child’s Urban Adventure By ERIC KONIGSBERG July 24, 2009 One of the better-kept secrets of the city is the series of one-night family campouts that the Parks & Recreation Department has every summer weekend. |
1.If you want to stay in a hotel in New York City for a week and enjoy designer details, memorable allowances, you need to get prepared for at least____________.
A. $ 1550 B. $ 1650 C. $ 1750 D. $ 1850
2.___________ is a good destination for New York rock climbers of all levels.
A. the Parks & Recreation Department B. Brooklyn Boulders
C. Lower Manhattan D. Tent City
3. Suppose you are interested in Shakespeare’s plays, you may pay attention to more details written by _________.
A. ERIC KONIGSBERG B. LOUISE STORY
C. FRED A. BERNSTEIN D. FELICIA R. LEE
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料,在空白处填人适当的内容(1 个单词)或括号内的正确形式。
Auckland, the capital city of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous (人口众多的) urban area in the country.
When 1.( plan) a trip to New Zealand, most people skip over Auckland as a destination. Everyone floods to Queenstown, or heads out2.( spend) time enjoying themselves in nature. However, as anyone who has visited it knows, there are even 3. ( many) things to do in Auckland, compared with those in Queenstown. All of these things make4. a great destination for all travelers.5. you are a backpacker, you will in, particular enjoy the huge range of free and cheap things to do in Auckland, especially in a country which is known6. its high living cost.
The city's trendy neighborhoods can7.(explore) on foot, and the skyline can be viewed from the water for the cheap price of a ferry ticket.8.( particular), you will have the chance to taste9.(variety) of snacks and the city doesn't shy away from a good happy hour. Give yourself10. couple of days to enjoy it, and check out some of our favorite things to do in Auckland. Auckland, you shouldn't miss it!
高三英语语法填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Squirrels aren’t natural city dwellers(居民). In 1986 the sight of one in a tree near New York’s city hall so surprised passers-by that a newspaper published a report about the “unusual visitor”.
Around that time, the tree-dwelling animals were being set free in America’s urban areas to “create pockets of peace and calm like the countryside,” says University of Pennsylvania historian Etienne Benson, who studied our relationship to squirrels over the course of five years.
First, they were introduced to Philadelphia, then to New Haven, Boston, and New York City. Park visitors were encouraged to feed them, and security guards ensured their safety. In the 1910s a leader of the Boy Scouts of America(an organization teaching boys practical skills)said that teaching children to feed squirrels could show the rewards of treating a weaker creature with sympathy, says Benson.
By the early 20th century, though, America began to regret the friendliness it had shown squirrels. Cities had once been filled with animals—from horses pulling goods to dairy cows. By the 1950s those working animals had been moved to the countryside. Pets and wild animals such as birds and squirrels were all that remained of the urban animal kingdom.
Before long, people’s enthusiasm for squirrels wore off, and they started to see them as annoyances. By the 1970s many parks banned feeding the creatures. Today, it is rare to find kids with their parents offering food to squirrels under a tree. And, unfortunately, with more and more buildings being constructed in the city, fewer inhabitable(适宜栖息的)areas are left for the little tree-dwelling animals.
What would be lost if the last of these city dwellers were forced to leave? “I think there’s something constructive to have other living creatures in the city that are not humans and not pets but share the land with us,” says Benson. “It’s a good thing to live in a landscape where you see other creatures going around making lunch. It’s good for the soul.”
1.What’s the purpose of introducing squirrels to Philadelphia?
A. To entertain park visitors. B. To keep the natural balance.
C. To encourage kids to protect animals. D. To make the urban life more peaceful.
2.What was the Boy Scouts leader’s attitude towards feeding squirrels?
A. Disagreeable. B. Doubtful. C. Supportive. D. Uncaring.
3.What might have happened to squirrels in cities around the 1960s?
A. They might have inhabited more homes.
B. They might have begun to go out of favor.
C. They might have been introduced to more cities.
D. They might have been moved to the countryside.
4.What does Benson suggest in the last paragraph?
A. Squirrels living in cities are annoying.
B. Feeding squirrels should be discouraged.
C. Squirrels should be allowed to live in cities.
D. It is possible for people to keep squirrels as pets.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
New York City is one of the Largest cities on the globe, 1.it consists of five districts: Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island. New York City 2.has a very unique personality is very popular with people. After all, you can sense its3.(special) at the first glance: countless skyscrapers, busy people4.(move)about street corners and nightly skyline brightened by flash light. If you are willing 5.(explore), New York City can never be6.place that kills you. Even7.normal days, you can meet people of different colors with different languages8.(speak). 9.(additional), you never go short of any particular food or entertainment, no matter what country10.comes from.
高三英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
With his good sense of direction, he _____ quickly and easily get round in the new city.
A.can | B.must | C.should | D.need |
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
Museum of the Moving Image ( MMI ) ( Monday Closed ) As the best museum in New York City and with a balance of hands-on(实际操作的)activities and information , it’s the rare bird that can entertain and educate people of different ages . It’s a perfect destination for a family trip of a couple of hours . Pros—Excellent movie screenings . Easy subway access . Cons—Difficult to reach by car . |
New York Hall of Science ( NYHS ) ( Monday Closed ) Being New York City’s only hands-on science and technology center , it is an interactive science museum focusing on its audience of children . It has the most hands-on exhibits in an NYC museum , and it’s a fun destination for ages 5 and up . Older folks might take great interest in the NASA rockets outside the museum , but don’t bother unless you’ve kids to keep you company . Pros—Cool interactive science exhibits , the rockets . Cons—Hard to reach by public transportation . |
Queens County Farm Museum ( QCFM ) ( Year-round 7 days a week ) It is an actual farm in New York City and home to animals your kids can feed and a yard full of a climbing plant whose fruit can be made into wine . Good chance to meet sheep , goats , pigs , chickens and cows ! The animals are mostly readily accessible to visitors . And the museum sells food for young hands willing to get licked by sheep and goats . Pros—Outdoor fun . Cons—Expensive festivals , long bus ride , no subway . |
Queens Museum of Art ( QMA ) ( Monday and Tuesday Closed ) Opened in 1972 to serve as a cultural center for the borough(行政区), it exhibits art by local and international artists . Its best exhibits are on the two World’s Fairs , and of course , the Panorama of New York City , a giant , highly detailed diorama(透景画)of all five New York City boroughs . Pros—The Panorama , great gift shop . Easy subway access . Cons—Not much for kids . |
1.The least likely choice for 5-year-old Jack to make among the museums is __________ .
A. QMA B. TNYHS C. TMMI D. QCFM
2. According to the text , which of the following is NOT true ?
A. All the museums mentioned above lie in New York City .
B. No other museum in New York City is better than MMI .
C. NYHS has the most hands-on activities in America .
D. Lucky visitors can see grapes in one of the museums .
3.In which museum can you enjoy outdoor fun ?
A. MMI . B. QCFM . C. NYHS . D. QMA .
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Children of all ages gathered in New York City recently for the International Toy Fair. Hidden among already popular toys were new, high-tech educational products. Toymakers are working to create these products for improving a child’s emotional intelligence.
Companies showed off their products last week at New York’s Jacob Javitz Convention Center.
PleIQ is a set of plastic toy blocks. It uses visual reality technology to teach words, numbers and other things. Edison Duran directs the company that makes PleIQ. She showed people at the toy fair how virtual images appear on the blocks when they are held in front of a tablet camera. PleIQ has children act as teacher or guide to a companion character.
On the other side of the convention center, Karen Hu from another company demonstrated an educational robot called Woobo. The robot comes programmed with educational games and activities. Children use its touch-screen face to get them started. Hu described how the robot can help a child who has autism (自闭症). “The child can communicate with Woobo and follow some of the instructions Woobo is giving because he thinks of this as a companion instead of a parent or someone else telling him about certain things.”
At the EQtainment stand, sales director Jonathan Erickson explained the company’s toys. “The purpose of all of our products is to develop emotional and social intelligence.” he said. Erickson showed off a board game called “Q’s Race to the Top”. He said the game got his 4-year-old daughter to open up. “The biggest thing is her talking. And that’s the key of all this—getting her feelings expressed out. Like, ‘Hey, what does it feel like to be sad? Or how does it feel like to be happy?’”
It remains to be seen whether a game or toy can improve emotional intelligence. But toymakers are doing what they can to help parents in their efforts to raise well-rounded children.
1.How does PleIQ instruct children to learn?
A.By playing the role of a companion. B.By giving direct guidance.
C.By taking photos with a camera. D.By presenting visual images.
2.What can be inferred about Woobo from Paragraph 4?
A.It is programmed to replace teachers. B.It may be good company for kids.
C.It can get started automatically. D.It is intended to design games.
3.What does Jonathan Erickson think of his toys?
A.They are quite easy to operate. B.They can teach children numbers.
C.They help kids express themselves well. D.They can show their emotions clearly.
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A.Toys are made to help to build emotional intelligence.
B.Educational toys sell well at the International Toy Fair.
C.Toymakers are making profits in education.
D.Children celebrate the International Toy Fair.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析