Earthquake in Japan.Donald Trump is accused of planting story about actress’s height after she rejected him. Mexico arrests ex-police chief in case of 43 missing students. Do you really need to know all these things?
Three years ago, I began an experiment. I stopped reading all newspapers and magazines. Televisions and radios were rejected. I deleted the news apps from my iPhone. I didn’t touch a single free newspaper and deliberately looked the other way when someone tried to offer me any such reading material. The first weeks were hard. Very hard! I was constantly afraid of missing something. But after a while, I had a new understanding. The result after three years: clearer thoughts, more valuable ideas, better decisions, and much more time. And the best thing? I haven’t missed anything important.
A dozen reasons exist to give news a wide berth. Here are the top three: First, our brain reacts differently to different types of information. Shocking, people-based, fast-changing details all appeal to us. News producers capitalize on this. The result: Everything complex, abstract, and profound(深刻的) must be systematically singled out, even though such stories are much more relevant to our lives and to our understanding of the world. As a result, we walk around with a misrepresented mental map of the risks and threats we actually face.
Second, news is irrelevant. In the past year, you have probably consumed about ten thousand pieces of news. Be very honest: Name one of them, just one that helped you make a better decision—for your life, your career, or your business—compared with not having this piece of news. No one I have asked has been able to name more than two useful news stories—out of ten thousand. News organizations claim that their information gives you a competitive advantage. Too many fall for this. If news really helped people advance, journalists would be at the top of the income pyramid.
Third, news is a waste of time. An average human being spends half a day each week reading about current affairs. This is a huge loss of productivity. Take the 2008 terror attack in Mumbai. Let’s say a billion people viewed the minute-by-minute updates and listened to the chatter of a few “experts” and “commentators.” Thus our conservative calculation: One billion people multiplied by an hour’s distraction equals one billion hours of work stoppage. News wasted around two thousand lives—ten times more than the attack.
I would predict that turning your back on news will benefit you as much as removing any of the other ninety-eight errors we have covered in the pages of this book. Read long background articles and books. Nothing beats books for understanding the world.
1.How did the author feel at the beginning of his experiment?
A. He was in constant fear.
B. He enjoyed it very much.
C. He had a better vision about life.
D. He missed his friends and relatives.
2.What does the underlined phrase in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A. Refuse to read news.
B. Select newscarefully.
C. Question news.
D. Help circulate news.
3.In the author’s opinion, news ________.
A. represents a competitive advantage
B. offers a mental map of the world
C. leads to a loss of productivity
D. brings journalists’ income up
4.What’s the main purpose of writing the passage?
A. To offer tips on choosing news.
B. To advocate giving up reading news.
C. To share experiences on avoiding news.
D. To criticize media’s misleading choice of news.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Earthquake in Japan.Donald Trump is accused of planting story about actress’s height after she rejected him. Mexico arrests ex-police chief in case of 43 missing students. Do you really need to know all these things?
Three years ago, I began an experiment. I stopped reading all newspapers and magazines. Televisions and radios were rejected. I deleted the news apps from my iPhone. I didn’t touch a single free newspaper and deliberately looked the other way when someone tried to offer me any such reading material. The first weeks were hard. Very hard! I was constantly afraid of missing something. But after a while, I had a new understanding. The result after three years: clearer thoughts, more valuable ideas, better decisions, and much more time. And the best thing? I haven’t missed anything important.
A dozen reasons exist to give news a wide berth. Here are the top three: First, our brain reacts differently to different types of information. Shocking, people-based, fast-changing details all appeal to us. News producers capitalize on this. The result: Everything complex, abstract, and profound(深刻的) must be systematically singled out, even though such stories are much more relevant to our lives and to our understanding of the world. As a result, we walk around with a misrepresented mental map of the risks and threats we actually face.
Second, news is irrelevant. In the past year, you have probably consumed about ten thousand pieces of news. Be very honest: Name one of them, just one that helped you make a better decision—for your life, your career, or your business—compared with not having this piece of news. No one I have asked has been able to name more than two useful news stories—out of ten thousand. News organizations claim that their information gives you a competitive advantage. Too many fall for this. If news really helped people advance, journalists would be at the top of the income pyramid.
Third, news is a waste of time. An average human being spends half a day each week reading about current affairs. This is a huge loss of productivity. Take the 2008 terror attack in Mumbai. Let’s say a billion people viewed the minute-by-minute updates and listened to the chatter of a few “experts” and “commentators.” Thus our conservative calculation: One billion people multiplied by an hour’s distraction equals one billion hours of work stoppage. News wasted around two thousand lives—ten times more than the attack.
I would predict that turning your back on news will benefit you as much as removing any of the other ninety-eight errors we have covered in the pages of this book. Read long background articles and books. Nothing beats books for understanding the world.
1.How did the author feel at the beginning of his experiment?
A. He was in constant fear.
B. He enjoyed it very much.
C. He had a better vision about life.
D. He missed his friends and relatives.
2.What does the underlined phrase in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A. Refuse to read news.
B. Select newscarefully.
C. Question news.
D. Help circulate news.
3.In the author’s opinion, news ________.
A. represents a competitive advantage
B. offers a mental map of the world
C. leads to a loss of productivity
D. brings journalists’ income up
4.What’s the main purpose of writing the passage?
A. To offer tips on choosing news.
B. To advocate giving up reading news.
C. To share experiences on avoiding news.
D. To criticize media’s misleading choice of news.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Plants on Earth have grown for hundreds of millions of years, yet President Donald Trump’s pick to lead his new climate team insists that they need more carbon dioxide (CO2) to boom.
Princeton physicist and carbon dioxide-advocate William Happer has been selected to head the brand new Presidential Committee on Climate Security. The atomic scientist, who achieved recognition for his work on atomic collisions (原子碰撞), not climate science, declared that the planet’s atmosphere needs significantly more CO2, which is reported to speed up climate change. Happer said plants use CO2 to live and more CO2 is actually a benefit to the Earth. He also stressed that Earth is experiencing a “CO2 starvation”, and concludes that “If plants could vote, they would vote for coal.”
Earth and plant scientists, however, find Happer’s insistence that the plant kingdom would benefit from increased CO2 wrong-headed and it lacks evidence. For example, Earth’s CO2 levels have increased sharply in the last century, and are now at their highest levels in at least 800,000 years—though other measurements show CO2 levels are higher than they’ve been in 15 million years. “The idea that increased CO2 is universally beneficial ‘to plants’ is very misguided,” Jill Anderson, an evolutionary ecologist specializing in plant populations, said in an interview. Data shows the evolution of global average temperature and CO2 concentration from 1850 to 2019. Though 2019 is a bit cooler than recent years, it still is one of the warmest years ever and lies close to the trend line of global warming.
Both independent academic organizations and government agencies around different parts of the world concluded more CO2 will bring many negative impacts to plant environments. And they added that “If someone is going to claim it is good, it’s necessary for them to show evidence.”
1.Why does Happer think plants need more CO2?
A. Plants vote for more CO2. B. CO2 speeds up climate change.
C. Plants need more CO2 to live. D. CO2 is actually a benefit to the Earth.
2.What can be inferred from paragraph 3?
A. 2019 is a bit warmer than recent years.
B. CO2 levels must be the highest in history.
C. The plant kingdom must benefit from increased CO2.
D. There are adequate evidence to support Happer’s insistence.
3.What does the underlined word “it” in the last paragraph probably refer to?
A. More CO2. B. The plant.
C. The world. D. The US government.
4.The author’s attitude in writing this passage can be described as ________.
A. critical B. objective
C. positive D. negative
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A handshake is one of the most common ways to greet others, but US President Donald Trump’s unusual method has been put under the microscope lately.
Much like an arm wrestler in a match, the recently-elected leader has a habit of yanking (猛拉) people’s hands toward himself during handshakes. And while a typical handshake is only brief, the one between him and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Feb 10 lasted a full 19 seconds.
Simply having a strong hand is not the explanation here. According to Darren Stanton, a body language expert from the UK, while handshakes are usually an exchange of kindness, Trump uses his as a way to show power and control, regardless of how uncomfortable it makes people. “It is as if to say, ‘Hey, I’m in charge, don’t mess with me,’ ” Stanton told The Independent.
Apart from Trump’s “yank-shake”, there are other ways people display power with their hands. At business talks or political meetings, for example, some people may rotate (旋转) their wrists during handshakes so that their hand ends up on top instead of underneath. Some may squeeze so hard that it leaves the other person’s hand in pain.
According to Stanton, by pulling people into his personal space, Trump is also testing whether they are willing to cooperate with him. “For example, if someone was resistant to being yanked towards him and stood their ground, he would know that he has work to do with them before he got what he wanted,” Stanton told Express.
This is probably why on Feb 13 when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the White House, all eyes were on how he was going to handle Trump’s handshake. Fortunately, Trudeau managed to avoid the embarrassment by grabbing Trump’s shoulder to stop himself being pulled in. Afterward, some Twitter users wrote that this proved Trudeau’s strong leadership, with one even calling the moment “one of Canada’s greatest victories”.
Vice magazine summed up the exchange between the two leaders as: “... no regular handshake. This was the first shot in a bloodless war.”
1.According to Darren Stanton, Trump uses his “yank-shake” to _____.
a. show his kindness
b. gain control
c. remind people of his status
d. see if people are cooperative
e. get people to lower their guard
A. bcd B. abc
C. ace D. bde
2.The phrase “stood their ground” in Paragraph 5 probably means _____.
A. going ahead B. standing still
C. turning around D. pulling out
3.According to the text, the way Trudeau reacted to Trump’s handshake _____.
A. annoyed Trump B. displayed his power
C. was considered rude D. was likely to start a war
4.What can be concluded from the text?
A. Some people spin their wrists during handshakes to show extra respect.
B. Handshakes are the most preferable way for political leaders to greet others.
C. The way someone shakes another person’s hand can have different meanings.
D. The longer two people shake their hands, the better their relationship is.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Donald Trump was born in Queens, a borough of New York City. He was the fourth child. He had two brothers and two sisters. By his own telling, young Donald often created trouble in school. So when he was 13 years old, his parents sent him to a military-style school.
Trump went on to college first at Fordham University in New York, and then at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned a degree in economics. He was also already investing in real estate. After he graduated, Trump quickly returned to New York City and his career.
In time, he became the head of the family business. He re-named it the Trump Organization. As its president, Trump developed and put his name on luxury buildings, casinos, hotels, and golf courses around the world. Later, he became linked to the entertainment industry, too. He became a part owner of beauty pageants, hosted a television show, and wrote a book about how to succeed in business.
During these years, Trump also married three times and divorced twice. The media wrote especially about his first and second marriages because he openly had a relationship with his second wife while he was married to his first. In 2005, he married Melania Knauss, a former model from Slovenia. She is only the second first lady who was not born in the United States. The first was Louisa Adams, who came from Britain in 1801.
But, until he officially entered the 2016 campaign as a Republican candidate, few linked him to politics.
Trump is unusual among past presidents because he had never worked in the government before. Nor has Trump served in the military. Only Presidents Taylor, Grant, and Eisenhower had no previous government experience; however, they had all been generals.
Trump is the oldest person ever to take office. He was 70 years old when he was sworn in.
He is also one of the richest.
And Trump is unusual in how he communicates with the public. As president, he continues to use Twitter to communicate his thoughts directly to anyone who wants to follow him.
While the long-term effects of Trump's presidency are not yet known, he will likely be remembered in part for his direct and unscripted style of communication.
1.Donald Trump is quite a different American president ever because _______.
A. only he has never entered politics before
B. he is the first to use the modern social media Twitter to speak
C. he is the richest president ever
D. only his wife wasn’t born in the US
2.Trump is a successful businessman and his business involves in the following except________.
A. television B. beauty
C. real estate D. publishing
3.Which of the following can’t suit Donald Trump?
A. He is the oldest president when taking office.
B. He has once served in the army.
C. He wrote a book about how to do business.
D. His father had five children.
4.What does the underlined word unscripted in the last sentences mean?
A. Unfinished. B. Undertaken. C. Unprepared. D. Unspoken.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
President Donald Trump's trade wars have reached Silicon Valley.
1.Trump administration is considering taxes on networking equipment from China. That could spell trouble for companies that buy Chinese components for their 2.(globe) cloud computing operations, such as Google, Facebook and Amazon, analysts say.
And chip makers such as Intel could face taxes on computer chips. US companies often send mostly 3. (finish) chips to China for manufacture, testing and 4.(package).
Those companies could pay a fine when those chips 5. (ship) back into the country. So far, US tech giants have 6. (large) stayed out of the trade fight. The threat of tariffs 7.tech products from China could force Silicon Valley leaders to be 8.(outspoken) about their concerns than before. Modems and routers are on a list of Chinese 9. (good) worth $200 billion that could face 10% tariffs in the United States after August 30.A tariff on those products could also hurt the tech industry, 10. uses huge IT networks to deliver products and services around the globe.
高三英语语法填空困难题查看答案及解析
Ever since Donald Trump was elected the president of the US, the entire Trump family has been put under a microscope. In China, the spotlight has been mainly focused on Trump and his daughter Ivanka. She is described on WeChat as an extremely influential role model with stunning beauty, a successful career, and a happy family. She leads a dream life that a million girls would kill for. Yes, she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. But she got where she is by herself.
There are always articles that say people born into wealthy families are better looking and have a better family background than you, but these people do work harder than you. Are you a loser if you were raised in an ordinary family? Should you feel guilty that you sleep eight hours a day because Ivanka sleeps five?
If you just want to keep a stable nine-to-five job, does it mean you are not ambitious? How about if you don’t work out or eat healthy, does that mean you will not find your Mr. or Miss Right? There is a tendency in media nowadays to encourage elitism. They are trying to brainwash young people into thinking that they should invest a huge amount of time and money in bodybuilding and appearance enhancement so as to improve the quality of their life and join the elites. But what’s the disadvantage of being of average quality? Do you really need to go to the gym five days a week unless you are a gym maniac (狂人)? Do you really need to break your neck and sacrifice to earn your first pot of gold only to worry constantly about how to be accepted into high society later?
Don’t let the idea of elitism get to you. Everybody has a right to live the life they want. Human beings should not be judged as a success or failure based on whether they are a part of the elite or not. As long as you lead a happy and comfortable life, why bother to chase after other people’s shadows? Choose your own life path and go for it.
1.The author mentions the example of Ivanka to .
A.stress the importance of family background in one’s growth
B.emphasize beauty plays a decisive role in one’s career
C.show it is one’s own effort that counts in success
D.express sympathy for those less fortunate people
2.What do the underlined words “kill for” in paragraph 1 mean?
A.Have a burning desire for. B.Show a strong hatred for.
C.Feel dissatisfied with out of envy. D.Attempt to escape from in reality.
3.What’s the author’s opinion of an ordinary office clerk?
A.He’d better follow the tendency encouraged by the medium.
B.He needs to invest time and money in changing himself.
C.He’s fine as long as he lives happily and comfortably.
D.He ought to have stronger motivation for success.
4.What is the message mainly conveyed in the story?
A.Every man is the architect of his own fortune.
B.Follow your own course and let people talk.
C.Laziness in youth spells regret in old age.
D.He who does not advance loses ground.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Ever since Donald Trump w as elected President of the US , the entire Trump family has been put under a microscope.
In China, the spotlight has been main ly focused on Trump and his daughter Ivanka. She is described on WeChat as an extremely inf luent ial ro le model w ith strik ing beauty, a successful career, and happy family. She leads a dream life that a million g irls w ould long for. Yes, she w as born w ith a silver spoon in her mouth. But she got w here she is by herself.
There’s alw ays going to be articles that say people born into w ealthy families are better looking and have a better family background than you, but these people do w ork harder than you.
There is a tendency in the med ia now adays to encourage elit ism(精英主义). They are trying to brainw ash young people into think ing that they should invest an enormous amount of time and money in bodybuild ing and appearance improvement. They make you believ e that if you do as they say, you can improve the quality of your life and join the upper class.
But w hat’s the dow nside of being average or common? Do you really need to go to the gym five days a w eek unless you are a gym crazy? Do you really need to break your neck and sacrifice to earn your first pot of gold only to w orry constantly about how to enter high society later?
Don’t let the idea of elit ism get to you. Everybody has a right to live the life they w ant. Human beings should not be judged as a success or failure based on w hether they are a part of the upper class or not. As long as you lead a happy and comfortable life, w hy bother to chase after other people’s shadows? Choose your ow n life path and go for it.
1.Which of the follow ing about Ivanka is NOT mentioned in the text?
A. She w as born in a w ealthy family.
B. She has a successful career.
C. She made it due to her father.
D. She is pretty beautiful.
2.What is the author ’s attitude tow ards the tendency in the media to encourage elitism?
A. Unconcerned. B. Negative. C. Doubtful. D. Approving.
3.What may be the best title for the text?
A. Run After Stars’ Shadow s B. Elitism and the Upper Class
C. Trump and His Daughter Ivanka D. Follow Your Ow n Course in Life
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
US President Donald Trump's senior adviser Kellyanne Conway has come under fire after picture of her casually kneeling on a couch in the Oval Office was widely shared on social media.
In an image captured by an AFP photographer,Conway appears on the couch with her shoes on as Trump poses for a photo with leaders of historically black colleges and universities.
Wall Street Journal columnist Bret Stephens was among those taking aim at Conway,suggesting that aides under previous administrations would have caused even greater outcry.
"If Rice or Jarrett had sat like this in Oval Office,conservatives(保守党党员)would have screamed themselves hoarse for weeks.Now we own trashy," he wrote.
Trump's predecessor Barack Obama was repeatedly attacked for photos in which he appeared to be relaxing. Critics also condemned Obama for unbuttoning the previous Oval Office dress code that called for a suit jacket and a tie.
The image of Conway was spread widely on social media,with several Twitter users criticizing her for what they described as a lack of respect in the Oval Office.
This is not the first time Conway has found herself at the centre of a storm.She recently came under fire for plugging(宣传)the fashion brand of the president's daughter.
The head of the US Office of Government Ethics urged the White House to investigate Conway after the incident,saying she should face disciplinary(惩戒性的)action.
1.What do we know about Rice and Jarrett mentioned in Paragraph 4?
A. They once screamed themselves in Oval Office.
B. They were both Obama's assistants under previous administrations.
C. They are senior advisers now.
D. They have found themselves at the centre of a storm.
2.What does the underlined word "trashy" mean in Paragraph 4?
A. Of no value. B. Rubbish.
C. Satisfying. D. Precious.
3.Why was President Barack Obama criticized by some social media?
A. Barack Obama didn't make achievements as the US President.
B. Barack Obama was repeatedly seen wearing informal clothes in the Oval Office.
C. Barack Obama preferred Rice or Jarrett to behave casually in the Oval Office.
D. Barack Obama ordered Rice to plug the fashion brand of his daughter. .
4.What might happen to Conway according to the text?
A. She would be promoted.
B. She might be praised by President Donald Trump.
C. She might be given disciplinary treatment.
D. She would apply for resignation.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Donald John Trump, born on June 14, 1946, is an American businessman. As the Republic Party’s nominee for president in the 2016 election, he defeated Hillary Clinton in the general election on November 8, 2016.
Trump is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization, which is the principal holding company for his real estate (Trump is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization, which is the principal holding company for his real estate(房地产) ventures and other business interests. During his career, Trump has built office towers, hotels, casinos, golf courses, and other branded facilities worldwide.
Trump was born and raised in New York City and received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1968. In 1971 he was given control of his father Fred Trump’s real estate and construction firm and later renamed it The Trump Organization. Trump has appeared at the Moss USA pageants, which he owned from 1996 to 2015, and has made cameo(配角) appearances in films and television series. He sought the Reform Party presidential nomination(提名) in 2000, but withdrew before voting began. He hosted and co-produced The Apprentice, a reality television series on NBC, from 2004 to 2015. As of 2016, he was listed by Forbes as the 324th wealthiest person in the world, and 156th in the United States.
In June 2015, Trump announced his candidacy(候选人资格) for president as a Republican and quickly emerged as the front runner for his party’s nomination. In May 2016, his remaining Republican rivals suspended(暂停) their campaigns, and in July he was formally nominated for president at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Trump’s campaign has received unprecedented media coverage and international attention. Many of his statements in interviews, on Twitter, and at campaign rallies(集会) have been controversial or false. Several rallies during the primaries were accompanied by protests or riots.
1.What do we know about Donald John Trump?
A. His career is limited in America.
B. It was a surprise that he defeated Hillary Clinton.
C. His business has expanded all over the world.
D. His father was against him being a politician.
2.What’s the main idea of Paragraph 3?
A. Introduction to Trump’s life. B. Introduction to Trump’s family.
C. The secret of Trump’s success. D. Trump’s dream.
3.Which of the following is WRONG for Donald John Trump once?
A. He once acted as a leading actor in films.
B. He once worked as a host.
C. He owns a lot of money.
D. He majored in economics in university.
4.According to the last paragraph, we can conclude at the campaign ________.
A. Trump owed his success to his family
B. at a point all Americans protested against Trump
C. Trump had no Republican rivals
D. all people didn’t agree with the remarks Trump made
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
US president Donald Trump has popularized the phrase “fake news” But not too long ago these words in combination would have meant little to everyday English speakers.
Anatoly Liberman, a German, writes about the origins of the word “fake”. The word, it turns out, has a very dark past. The best guess for how “fake” became mainstream, argues Liberman, is that it was a kind used by thieves in the London underworld. But“how it got there, nobody in the world knows, and probably nobody will ever know,” he tells Quartz.
Liberman is a professor at the University of Minnesota and the author of Word Origins and How We Know Them. He writes that early records of “fake” as an English adjective appeared around the middle of the 18th century. The word likely comes from cant, or thief jargon(行话).
The OED mentions “fake” as a verb starting in 1819, which basically meant‘to do”in jargon, but also“to kill , wound, or rob”. An entry from a dictionary that year reads :
“To fake any person or place, to rob them ;to fake a person may also imply to shoot, wound, or cut; to fake a man out and out, is to kill him.”
Liberman traces the word next to Chares Dickens, who used “cly-faker”,where “cly” means pocket, in Oliver Twist. This is how he believes knowledge of “fake”as a word that means to steal, spread. Eventually it became a commonplace English word.
1.The underlined word “fake” in Paragraph 1 probably means .
A. lying
B. true
C. common
D. interesting
2.What can we learn about Anatoly Liberman?
A. He is skilled in some foreign languages.
B. He is interested in all the English words.
C. He lived in England for a long time.
D. He likes writing articles in English very much.
3.What is mainly discussed in this passage?
A. The history of English words.
B. Some stories about English words.
C. The importance of the English word “fake”
D. The origins of an English word.
4.What can we infer from this passage?
A. We must focus on the words of Donald Trump.
B. We should study English words very carefully.
C. “Fake” likely comes from words used by a class of people.
D. Anatoly Liberman likes to trace the commonplace English words.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析