Age has its privileges in America, and one of the more prominent of them is the senior citizen discount. Anyone who has reached a certain age — in some cases as low as 55 — is automatically entitled to dazzling array of price reductions at nearly every level of commercial life. Eligibility is determined not by one’s need but by the date on one’s birth certificate. Practically unheard of a generation ago, the discounts have become a routine part of many businesses — as common as color televisions in motel rooms and free coffee on airliners.
People with gray hair often are given the discounts without even asking for them; yet, millions of Americans above age 60 are healthy and solvent(有支付能力的). Businesses that would never dare offer discounts to college students or anyone under 30 freely offer them to older Americans. The practice is acceptable because of the widespread belief that “elderly” and “needy” are synonymous (同义的). Perhaps that once was true, but today elderly Americans as a group have a lower poverty rate than the rest of the population. To be sure, there is economic diversity within the elderly, and many older Americans are poor. But most of them aren’t.
It is impossible to determine the impact of the discounts on individual companies. For many firms, they are a stimulus to revenue. But in other cases the discounts are given at the expense, directly or indirectly, of younger Americans. Moreover, they are a direct irritant in what some politicians and scholars see as a coming conflict between the generations.
Generational tensions are being fueled by continuing debate over Social Security benefits, which mostly involve a transfer of resources from the young to the old. Employment is another sore point. Buoyed (支持) by laws and court decisions, more and more older Americans are declining the retirement dinner in favor of staying on the job — thereby lessening employment and promotion opportunities for younger workers.
Far from a kind of charity they once were, senior citizen discounts have become a formidable economic privilege to a group with millions of members who don’t need them.
It no longer makes sense to treat the elderly as a single group whose economic needs deserve priority over those of others. Senior citizen discounts only enhance the myth that older people can’t take care of themselves and need special treatment; and they threaten the creation of a new myth, that the elderly are ungrateful and taking for themselves at the expense of children and other age groups. Senior citizen discounts are the essence of the very thing older Americans are fighting against — discrimination by age.
| Outline | Details |
| Introduction | Age determines whether an American can be given a discount, which is a common 1.________________in American business life today. |
| Origin of senior citizen discount | ●Since the senior citizens are often treated as people who are in 2.____________, they are given such priority. |
| 3.__________ situation | ●The situation has changed a lot where the majority of the elderly are not poor at all. ●Younger Americans were at a/an 4.__________ directly or indirectly due to the discounts given to the elderly, thus leading to conflicts between generations. ●The number of older Americans 5.___________ to work rather than retire is on the increase, which means 6.__________ opportunities for young workers. ●It is no longer a kind of charity because millions of senior citizens don’t need the priority 7.__________. |
| Conclusion | It’s unwise to offer discount priority to the elderly. ●It will mislead people to think they are unable to 8._____________ to themselves. ●People may think that they are ungrateful and they’re hurting the 9._____________ of other age groups. ●Actually senior citizen discounts, to some extent, 10. ___________against their age. |
高三英语任务型阅读简单题
Age has its privileges in America, and one of the more prominent of them is the senior citizen discount. Anyone who has reached a certain age — in some cases as low as 55 — is automatically entitled to dazzling array of price reductions at nearly every level of commercial life. Eligibility is determined not by one’s need but by the date on one’s birth certificate. Practically unheard of a generation ago, the discounts have become a routine part of many businesses — as common as color televisions in motel rooms and free coffee on airliners.
People with gray hair often are given the discounts without even asking for them; yet, millions of Americans above age 60 are healthy and solvent(有支付能力的). Businesses that would never dare offer discounts to college students or anyone under 30 freely offer them to older Americans. The practice is acceptable because of the widespread belief that “elderly” and “needy” are synonymous (同义的). Perhaps that once was true, but today elderly Americans as a group have a lower poverty rate than the rest of the population. To be sure, there is economic diversity within the elderly, and many older Americans are poor. But most of them aren’t.
It is impossible to determine the impact of the discounts on individual companies. For many firms, they are a stimulus to revenue. But in other cases the discounts are given at the expense, directly or indirectly, of younger Americans. Moreover, they are a direct irritant in what some politicians and scholars see as a coming conflict between the generations.
Generational tensions are being fueled by continuing debate over Social Security benefits, which mostly involve a transfer of resources from the young to the old. Employment is another sore point. Buoyed (支持) by laws and court decisions, more and more older Americans are declining the retirement dinner in favor of staying on the job — thereby lessening employment and promotion opportunities for younger workers.
Far from a kind of charity they once were, senior citizen discounts have become a formidable economic privilege to a group with millions of members who don’t need them.
It no longer makes sense to treat the elderly as a single group whose economic needs deserve priority over those of others. Senior citizen discounts only enhance the myth that older people can’t take care of themselves and need special treatment; and they threaten the creation of a new myth, that the elderly are ungrateful and taking for themselves at the expense of children and other age groups. Senior citizen discounts are the essence of the very thing older Americans are fighting against — discrimination by age.
| Outline | Details |
| Introduction | Age determines whether an American can be given a discount, which is a common 1.________________in American business life today. |
| Origin of senior citizen discount | ●Since the senior citizens are often treated as people who are in 2.____________, they are given such priority. |
| 3.__________ situation | ●The situation has changed a lot where the majority of the elderly are not poor at all. ●Younger Americans were at a/an 4.__________ directly or indirectly due to the discounts given to the elderly, thus leading to conflicts between generations. ●The number of older Americans 5.___________ to work rather than retire is on the increase, which means 6.__________ opportunities for young workers. ●It is no longer a kind of charity because millions of senior citizens don’t need the priority 7.__________. |
| Conclusion | It’s unwise to offer discount priority to the elderly. ●It will mislead people to think they are unable to 8._____________ to themselves. ●People may think that they are ungrateful and they’re hurting the 9._____________ of other age groups. ●Actually senior citizen discounts, to some extent, 10. ___________against their age. |
高三英语任务型阅读简单题查看答案及解析
Age has its privileges in America, and one of the most important of them is the senior citizen discount. Eligibility(资格) is determined not by one’s need but by the date on one’s birth certificate. The discounts have become a routine part of many businesses—as common as color televisions in motel rooms and free coffee on airliners.
People with gray hair often are given the discounts without even asking for them; yet, millions of Americans above age 60 are healthy and solvent (有支付能力的). Businesses that would never dare offer discounts to college students or anyone under 30 freely offer them to older Americans. The practice is acceptable because of the widespread belief that ＂elderly＂ means ＂needy＂. Perhaps that once was true, but today elderly Americans as a group have a lower poverty rate than the rest of the population. To be sure, there is economic diversity within the elderly, and many older Americans are poor. But most of them aren’t.
It is impossible to determine the impact of the discounts on individual companies. For many firms, they are a stimulus to revenue. But in other cases, the discounts are given at the expense, directly or indirectly, of younger Americans. Moreover, they are a direct irritant(刺激物) in what some politicians and scholars see as a coming conflict between the generations.
Generational tensions are being fueled by continuing debate over Social Security benefits, which mostly involve a transfer of resources from the young to the old. Employment is another sore point. Supported by laws and court decisions, more and more older Americans are declining the retirement dinner in favor of staying on the job—thereby lessening employment and promotion opportunities for younger workers.
Far from a kind of charity they once were, senior citizen discounts have become a privilege to a group with millions of members who don’t need them.
It no longer makes sense to treat the elderly as a single group whose economic needs deserve priority over those of others. Senior citizen discounts only enhance the myth that older people can’t take care of themselves and need special treatment; and they threaten the creation of a new myth, that the elderly are ungrateful and taking for themselves at the expense of children and other age groups. Senior citizen discounts are the essence of the very thing older Americans are fighting against—discrimination by age.
| Outline | Details |
| Introduction | Age determines whether an American can be given a discount, which is a common 1. in American business life today. |
| Origin of senior citizen discount | Since the senior citizens are often treated as people who are in 2.， they are given such priority. |
| 3.situation | ●The situation has changed a lot where the majority of the elderly are not poor at all. ●Younger Americans were at a(n) 4. directly or indirectly due to the discounts given to the elderly, thus leading to conflicts between generations. ●The number of older Americans 5. to work rather than retire is on the increase, which means 6. opportunities for young workers. ●It is no longer a kind of charity because millions of senior citizens don’t need the priority 7. now. |
| Conclusion | ●It’s unwise to offer discount priority to the elderly. ●It will mislead people to think they are unable to 8. to themselves. ●People may think that they are ungrateful and they’re hurting the 9. of other age groups. ●Actually senior citizen discounts, to some extent，10. against their age. |
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
By age 25 John D. Rockefeller controlled one of the largest oil companies in America. By age 31 he had become the world’s largest oil producer. By age 38 he commanded 90% of the oil produced in the U.S. By the time of his retirement at age 58, he was the richest man in the country. By the time he died, he had become the richest man in the world.
But there was little in Rockefeller’s upbringing that would signal his great success. He was born in a run-down house in New York in 1839. His mother was a solid, religious woman, but his father, William Avery Rockefeller, was little more than a dishonest salesman, unable to provide for his family.
Young John grew up helping work the family farm. But he had his eyes set on greater things, and earnestly desired to rise in the world.
He had a talent for numbers, and he dropped out of high school to become better acquainted with their management. Enrolling in a 3-month business course at a commercial college, he learned the basics of book-keeping and banking.
After graduating at the age of 16, Rockefeller left his rural home to look for a job in Cleveland. As Rockefeller remembered, the job market was tight, and the response was not encouraging: “No one wanted a boy, and very few showed any interest in me.” Yet young John was not at all discouraged.
From morning until later afternoon, six days a week, for six weeks — sweating through Cleveland’s hot summer, walking its streets until his feet ached — Rockefeller continued to seek a job. He attacked this goal with patient persistence. Finally, on September 26, 1855, he heard the words he’d been waiting for: “We’ll give you a chance.” Ever after, Rockefeller referred to this date as “Job Day” and celebrated its anniversary with more passion than his own birthday, for this was the great turning point in his life. Through singular focus on a goal, and patient persistence, he had obtained a toehold in the world of business.
1.What is the purpose of Paragraph 1?
A. To explain why Rockefeller was so successful.
B. To attract the readers with facts about Rockefeller.
C. To entertain the readers with some stories of Rockefeller.
D. To inform the readers of the road for Rockefeller’s success.
2.Which of the following mainly contributed to Rockefeller’s success?
A. Family upbringing. B. His talent for numbers.
C. His persistence and determination. D. Training at a commercial college.
3.What happened to Rockefeller before he got his first job?
A. He had an eye problem.
B. He was turned down for many times.
C. He dropped out of his commercial college.
D. He was forced to go home by the tight market.
4.Why did he choose to celebrate the “Job Day”?
A. It changed his whole life. B. It was close to his birthday.
C. It was the hardest day in his life. D. It was the day he got his first job.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
By age 25 John D. Rockefeller controlled one of the largest oil companies in America. By age 31 he had become the world’s largest oil producer. By age 38 he commanded 90% of the oil produced in the U.S. By the time of his retirement at age 58, he was the richest man in the country. By the time he died, he had become the richest man in the world.
But there was little in Rockefeller’s upbringing that would signal his great success. He was born in a run-down house in New York in 1839. His mother was a solid, religious woman, but his father, William Avery Rockefeller, was little more than a dishonest salesman, unable to provide for his family.
Young John grew up helping work the family farm. But he had his eyes set on greater things, and earnestly desired to rise in the world.
He had a talent for numbers, and he dropped out of high school to become better acquainted with their management. Enrolling in a 3-month business course at a commercial college, he learned the basics of book-keeping and banking.
After graduating at the age of 16, Rockefeller left his rural home to look for a job in Cleveland. As Rockefeller remembered, the job market was tight, and the response was not encouraging: “No one wanted a boy, and very few showed any interest in me.” Yet young John was not at all discouraged.
From morning until later afternoon, six days a week, for six weeks — sweating through Cleveland’s hot summer, walking its streets until his feet ached — Rockefeller continued to seek a job. He attacked this goal with patient persistence. Finally, on September 26, 1855, he heard the words he’d been waiting for: “We’ll give you a chance.” Ever after, Rockefeller referred to this date as “Job Day” and celebrated its anniversary with more passion than his own birthday, for this was the great turning point in his life. Through singular focus on a goal, and patient persistence, he had obtained a toehold in the world of business.
1.What is the purpose of Paragraph 1?
A. To explain why Rockefeller was so successful.
B. To attract the readers with facts about Rockefeller.
C. To entertain the readers with some stories of Rockefeller.
D. To inform the readers of the road for Rockefeller’s success.
2.Which of the following mainly contributed to Rockefeller’s success?
A. Family upbringing. B. His talent for numbers.
C. His persistence and determination. D. Training at a commercial college.
3.What happened to Rockefeller before he got his first job?
A. He had an eye problem.
B. He was turned down for many times.
C. He dropped out of his commercial college.
D. He was forced to go home by the tight market.
4.Why did he choose to celebrate the “Job Day”?
A. It changed his whole life. B. It was close to his birthday.
C. It was the hardest day in his life. D. It was the day he got his first job.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A museum in the Netherlands is trying to show visitors more of the objects it has and bring them more excitement.It is using an augmented reality（增强现实）device made by Microsoft to reach its goal.However,the use of this high-technology device started with a basic problem.
The Dutch National Museum of Antiquities does not have enough space to put all of its artifacts（人工制品）on display.So,the museum asked experts at Delft University of Science and Technology to find a way to let more visitors—especially young people—experience what the museum has to offer.
The experts used the Hololens（全息透镜）.It is a computer that shows visitors holograms,or virtual pictures that appear to have three dimensions.
Annelies Maltha,a researcher at the University,says that almost 80 percent of the artifacts at the museum are not shown to the public."So by using the Hololens,"she adds,"people can virtually visit the exhibit and see so much more."
The Dutch National Museum has artifacts like the Egyptian Temple of Teffeh.The structure was reconstructed inside the museum in 1971.It is not currently available to the public.
"The Hololens enables you to have augmented reality,instead of virtual reality,which means you can still see the temple,you can still feel the ancient vibe（氛围）around you,so to speak."The augmented reality technology gives visitors the ability to interact with their surroundings.
The researchers are using the Hololens to make three dimensional images of every room in the temple.Erik Hoglund,another researcher,explains that his team can create 3D models and add different images,movies,or animations.The effect is to make visitors feel like they are interacting with the temple.
The Hololens program is still being developed.But museum officials hope that,in the future,the Hololens will serve as a tour guide for exhibits that have been hidden from public view.
1.What does the underlined part "its goal" in Paragraph 1 mean?
A. The experience of excitement.
B. The solving of the basic problem.
C. The showing of more museum objects.
D. The use of the augmented reality device.
2.What can be learnt about the augmented reality device?
A. It has been widely applied to museums.
B. It is what we call virtual reality.
C. It is developed by Microsoft.
D. It has many hidden dangers.
3.Which of the following statements about the Hololens is TRUE?
A. It makes interactions possible.
B. It gives the museum much more space.
C. It enables visitors to have virtual reality.
D. It is a must-have item for the common people.
4.What would happen if the technology were to be applied in the museums?
a.More young people would be attracted to the museums.
b.More items of the museums would be on display.
c.People would travel back to ancient times.
d.Fewer guides would be needed.
A. abd B. abc
C. acd D. bcd
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
New York University (NYU) is one of the best universities in the United States and it has just opened a school in Shanghai in partnership with East China Normal University(ECNU). The arrival of the American university on China mainland is an example of what is being called the “globalization” of education and it is hoped that this trend will influence the quality of education in all of China’s universities by raising the standard of teaching.
NYU Shanghai’s class of 2017(students will graduate in 2017) is made up of 295 students from China, America and other countries. The students will study liberal arts courses for two years before choosing a major and when they graduate, they will receive a degree from NYU and a degree from ECNU. All the classes will be taught in English, using the teaching methods in American universities. Students will be pushed to take risks in the classroom, pushed to speak up and pushed to say things that are not completely correct, which can make them understand that it’s OK for them to make mistakes in class.
This style of learning will be challenging for many Chinese students, because they will be mixed with the foreign students both in the classroom and in the dormitory. Living and studying with foreigners day to day will provide Chinese students with a cultural as well as academic education and it’s hoped that this cross-cultural experience will benefit them when they seek jobs in the competitive global market.
China’s interest in partnering with foreign universities comes at a time when western universities are trying to expand. They realize that information, technology and business are now borderless; they also realize education should be borderless too. This trend will have a deep effect on bringing the world closer together and the students at NYU Shanghai should be excited to be on the leading edge of this trend.
1.The opening of NYU Shanghai class may help _________.
A. improve the quality of China’s university education
B. prove that NYU is the best university in the United States
C. send more Chinese students to foreign universities
D. raise the standard of teaching in American university
2.What is the NYU Shanghai’s class like?
A. It offers the same courses as NYU does in the US.
B. It’s hard to follow the classes without knowing English.
C. The students are majoring in liberal arts courses.
D. Only two-year courses will be provided in this class.
3. How should the students perform in the classroom?
A. They must express themselves correctly.
B. They should try to be active in the class.
C. They will learn something dangerous.
D. They have to correct their mistakes.
4. What can be inferred from Paragraph3?
A. More foreign students will work in Shanghai after graduation.
B. Chinese students will get a better education than foreign students.
C. It may be easier for the students to find jobs after graduation.
D. No foreign students can benefit from the cross-cultural experience.
5.Why are the western universities trying to expand?
A. Because they want to get more information and more money.
B. Because they want to improve their technology.
C. Because Shanghai is on the leading edge in China.
D. Because they think the education resources should be shared.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
More and more public schools in America make it a rule that students must finish a certain amount of community service1.they are allowed to graduate from high school.They work on projects like making the environment better or2. (feed) homeless people.
Many school systems in the United States now ask students3.(do) some kinds of community service as part of their studies.Students involved in service projects help4.(they) as well as their communities.They learn about the needs of people and aid5.(organize).For this reason,holidays6.(become) the prime period for volunteer work so far.Volunteers get no pay,but experts point out that it is7.excellent opportunity to learn and practice new skills.
According to the statistics,more than 60% of young Americans have participated8.different kinds of community service,such as cooking for homeless people,or painting old buildings,etc.Some students like to do their volunteer work in9.(centre) parts of America,but the majority of teens prefer to do it in their hometowns.Tom,a 16-year-old middle school student in California,often10.(do) community service in a local hospital.He works 16 hours every week either receiving calls at the information desk,or helping push patients back to their wards.
高三英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Jack London had endured more hardships by the age of twenty-one than most people experience in a lifetime. His struggles developed in him sympathy for the working class and a lasting dislike of hard work and provided inspiration for his career as a writer.
London grew up in San Francisco in extreme poverty. At an early age, he left school and supported himself through a succession of un skilled jobs ----working as a paper boy, in bowling alleys, on ice wagons, and in canneries（罐头食品厂） and mills. Despite working long hours at these jobs, London was able to read constantly, borrowing travel and adventure books from the library.
The books London read inspired him to travel, and his job experiences led him to become active in fighting for the fights of workers. He sailed to Japan on a journey aiming at catching seals and joined a cross-country protest march with a group of unemployed workers. After being arrested for vagrancy near Buffalo, New York, London decided to educate himself and reshape his life. He quickly completed high school and entered the University of California.
After only one term, however, the appeal of fortune and adventure proved uncontrollable. London gave up his studies and traveled to the Alaskan Yukon in 1897 in search of gold. Jack London was among the first of these miners. He may have searched for more than gold, however. London once commented, “ True, the new region was mostly poor; but its several hundred thousand square miles of coldness at least gave breathing space to those who else would have choked at home.” Although he was unsuccessful as a miner, London’s experiences in Alaska taught him about the human desire for wealth and power and about humankind’s inability to control the forces of nature. While in Alaska, London also absorbed memories and stories that would make him known one hundred years later.
Once back in California, London became determined to earn a living as a writer. He rented a typewriter and worked up to fifteen hours a day, spinning his Alaskan adventures into short stories and novels.
According to legend, London’s piles of rejection slips from publishers grew to five feet in height!
Even so, London preserved. In 1903, he earned national fame when he published the popular novel The Call of the Wild. He soon became the highest paid and most industrious writer in the country. During his career, he produced more than fifty books and earned more than a million dollars. Several of his novels, including The Call of the Wild(1903),the Sea-Wolf(1904),the White Fang(1906),have become American classics. In fact, he was a creative writer whose fiction explored several regions and their cultures: the Yukon, California, Hawaii, and the Solomon Islands. He experimented with many literary forms, from traditional love stories and dystopias（反面乌托邦小说）to science fantasy. His noted journalism included war communication, boxing stories, and the life of Molokai lepers（麻风病患者）. He was among the most influential figures of his day, who understood how to create a public persona and use the media to market his self-created image of poor-boy-turned-success. London's great passion was agriculture, and he was well on the way of creating a new model for spreading through his Beauty Ranch when he died of kidney disease at age 40. He left over fifty books of novels, stories, journalism, and essays, many of which have been translated and continue to be read around the world. His best works describe a person’s struggle for survival against the powerful forces of nature. “To Build a Fire”, for example, tells the story of a man’s fight to survive the harsh cold of the Alaskan winter.
1._________made Jack London reconsider his life in the future.
A. His job experience B. The books he read
C. Being arrested D. Long-hour work
2.What is TRUE about Jack London?
A. Jack London was poor all his life.
B. Jack London got enough money while in the search of gold.
C. The books Jack London read inspired him to travel and become active.
D. The experience of gold searching made Jack London determined to write novels about Alaska adventures.
3.After the experience in Alaska, Jack London ________________.
A. realized the nature of human beings.
B. knew people could control the nature finally.
C. regretted being there.
D.thought highly of himself.
4.In paragraph 4, the sentence “True, the new region was mostly poor; but its several hundred thousand square miles of coldness at least gave breathing space to those who else would have choked at home.” implies_______________________________.
A. Jack London regarded Alaska a poor place as he never got any gold there.
B. people would have been ill at home if they had never been Alaska.
C. People searching for gold there still have chance to win.
D. Alaska was a poor but large region.
5.Which one of following works doesn’t belong to Jack London according to the passage?
A. love stories B. poetry C. journalism D. essays
6.What can we learn from Jack London’s final success?
A. Failure is the mother of success.
B. Practice makes perfect.
C. Knowledge is powerful.
D. All of above.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Nearing the age of 101 has not slowed down one Japanese woman．In fact，in the swimming pool—she is only getting faster．
Recently，a 100-year-old Japanese woman became the world’s first centenarian to complete a 1，500-meter freestyle swimming competition in a 25-meter poo1．
Her name is Mieko Nagaoka．Ms．Nagaoka set a world record for her age group at a recent Japan Masters Swimming Association event in the western city of Matsuyama．She swam the race in 1hour，15 minutes and 54 seconds．
By comparison，the overall female world record holder completed the same distance in just under 15 and a half minutes．But that swimmer，Katie Ledecky，is only 17 years old．And Ms．Nagao．ka was not competing against her．In fact，Ms．Nagaoka was the only competitor in the 100-104 year old category．Her race was not a race of speed but of endurance，or not giving up．
Breaking swimming records is nothing new to Ms．Nagaoka．So far she has broken 25 records．But she began competing when she was much younger—at 88.
Ms．Nagaoka sufferred a knee injury in her 80s，so she began swimming to help her body recover．Since her first international swimming competition，she hasn’t looked back，except maybe to see if her competition is catching up．
In 2002．at a masters swim meet in New Zealand，Ms．Nagaoka took the bronze medal in the 50-meter backstroke．In 2004，she won three silver medals at an Italian swim meet.
Masters swimming is a special class of competitive swimming to promote health and friendship among participants．Swimmers compete within age groups of five years.
Japan has a large number of people who live beyond 100 years old．Until she passed away this month，the oldest person in the world was also from Japan．Misao Okawa was born in 1 898．She said her secrets for longevity，or long life，were good genes，regular sleep，sushi and exercise.
1.The underlined word“centenarian”refers to someone who is____．
A．from Japan B．100 or older
C．an old competitor D.a new swimmer
2.Which is possibly the age category of the masters swimming competition?
A．82 to 87 years old． B．93 to 97 years old.
C．95 to 99 years old． D．106 to 110 years old.
3.It can be inferred from the passage that_____．
A．some people are born with longevity genes
B．people who like swimming live longer
C．the Japanese are interested in swimming
D．woman usually live much longer than men
4.Which can best explain the spirit of Ms．Nagaoka?
A．Not to advance is to go back．
B．After a storm comes a calm.
C．The early bird catches the worm．
D．Keep on going，never give up.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Nearing the age of 101 has not slowed down one Japanese woman．In fact，in the swimming pool—she is only getting faster．
Recently，a 100-year-old Japanese woman became the world’s first centenarian to complete a 1，500-meter freestyle swimming competition in a 25-meter poo1．
Her name is Mieko Nagaoka．Ms．Nagaoka set a world record for her age group at a recent Japan Masters Swimming Association event in the western city of Matsuyama．She swam the race in 1hour，15 minutes and 54 seconds．
By comparison，the overall female world record holder completed the same distance in just under 15 and a half minutes．But that swimmer，Katie Ledecky，is only 17 years old．And Ms．Nagao．ka was not competing against her．In fact，Ms．Nagaoka was the only competitor in the 100-104 year old category．Her race was not a race of speed but of endurance，or not giving up．
Breaking swimming records is nothing new to Ms．Nagaoka．So far she has broken 25 records．But she began competing when she was much younger—at 88.
Ms．Nagaoka sufferred a knee injury in her 80s，so she began swimming to help her body recover．Since her first international swimming competition，she hasn’t looked back，except maybe to see if her competition is catching up．
In 2002．at a masters swim meet in New Zealand，Ms．Nagaoka took the bronze medal in the 50-meter backstroke．In 2004，she won three silver medals at an Italian swim meet.
Masters swimming is a special class of competitive swimming to promote health and friendship among participants．Swimmers compete within age groups of five years.
Japan has a large number of people who live beyond 100 years old．Until she passed away this month，the oldest person in the world was also from Japan．Misao Okawa was born in 1 898．She said her secrets for longevity，or long life，were good genes，regular sleep，sushi and exercise.
1.The underlined word“centenarian”refers to someone who is____．
A．from Japan
B．100 or older
C．an old competitor
D.a new swimmer
2.Which is possibly the age category of the masters swimming competition?
A．82 to 87 years old．
B．93 to 97 years old.
C．95 to 99 years old．
D．106 to 110 years old.
3.It can be inferred from the passage that_____．
A．some people are born with longevity genes
B．people who like swimming live longer
C．the Japanese are interested in swimming
D．woman usually live much longer than men
4.Which can best explain the spirit of Ms．Nagaoka?
A．Not to advance is to go back．
B．After a storm comes a calm.
C．The early bird catches the worm．
D．Keep on going，never give up.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析