The idea about the phoenix goes back to Ancient Egypt, where we find the phoenix described as a handsome, eagle-like bird, with part-golden, part-red plumage, that spent most of its life in the Arabian deserts. It was rarely seen and according to one version of the story, only appeared in Egypt once every five hundred years, when it flew to Heliopolis, “city of the sun”, and deliberately burnt itself to ashes by settling on the altar (祭坛) flame there! However, it seems it did not really die because from those same ashes a young, fully formed phoenix was born and flew away, apparently back to Arabia.
It is pretty obvious that no one has ever seen or will see a living phoenix. The interesting thing is that we can find certain clues which may explain one aspect of the Egyptians’ idea. It may sound unbelievable, but some birds are apparently quite charmed by flames and small fires, especially members of the crow family. One zoologist actually proved this by setting fire to some straw near to a tame(驯养的)rook, a large black bird like a crow. Far from becoming nervous and backing away, the bird deliberately stood over the flames, with raised and vibrating wings. It didn’t get burnt, but the image it presented by its strange behavior was almost exactly like that shown in illustrations of the mythical phoenix!
Why birds should occasionally behave in this strange way is not clear. One idea is that they carefully use the heat of the flames to relieve the annoyance caused by their feather mites (虱) which all birds have. Whatever the reason, it is quite possible that the Ancient Egyptians saw birds behaving in this way, from time to time, and used it as the basis of their phoenix myth, adding fanciful details which closely linked it to their worship of the sun and their belief in resurrection.
Nowadays, the phoenix is much less important to us than it was to the Egyptians. But the logo of modern fire insurance companies, which employ the phoenix as one of their symbols, refers that in one sense the idea of it remains.
1. According to the passage, the phoenix _________ .
A.is a handsome and eagle-like bird living in Arab |
B.used to be seen when the Egyptians held religious activities |
C.has never really existed in the world |
D.is the king of all kinds of birds |
2. The reason why birds stand above flames is probably that _________ .
A.the phoenix used to do so | B.they may get rid of the mites |
C.they want to burn their feather | D.they can heat themselves |
3.Which of the following statements is NOT correct?
A.The ancient Egyptians worshiped the phoenix. |
B.The scientists have discovered why birds are attracted by fire. |
C.The modern people still favor the idea of the phoenix. |
D.The mythical tales about the phoenix were based on facts. |
4.Which of the following is closest to the underlined word “resurrection” in the 3rd paragraph?
A.living forever | B.offering warmth |
C.coming back to life | D.staying healthy |
5.What does the phoenix probably mean in the logo of a fire insurance company?
A.Our company can protect you from being harmed by fire. |
B.If your property is destroyed by fire, we will help you build it up again. |
C.Our company will always be energetic and wealthy. |
D.If needed, we will save you at the risk of losing lives. |
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
The idea about the phoenix goes back to Ancient Egypt, where we find the phoenix described as a handsome, eagle-like bird, with part-golden, part-red plumage, that spent most of its life in the Arabian deserts. It was rarely seen and according to one version of the story, only appeared in Egypt once every five hundred years, when it flew to Heliopolis, “city of the sun”, and deliberately burnt itself to ashes by settling on the altar (祭坛) flame there! However, it seems it did not really die because from those same ashes a young, fully formed phoenix was born and flew away, apparently back to Arabia.
It is pretty obvious that no one has ever seen or will see a living phoenix. The interesting thing is that we can find certain clues which may explain one aspect of the Egyptians’ idea. It may sound unbelievable, but some birds are apparently quite charmed by flames and small fires, especially members of the crow family. One zoologist actually proved this by setting fire to some straw near to a tame(驯养的)rook, a large black bird like a crow. Far from becoming nervous and backing away, the bird deliberately stood over the flames, with raised and vibrating wings. It didn’t get burnt, but the image it presented by its strange behavior was almost exactly like that shown in illustrations of the mythical phoenix!
Why birds should occasionally behave in this strange way is not clear. One idea is that they carefully use the heat of the flames to relieve the annoyance caused by their feather mites (虱) which all birds have. Whatever the reason, it is quite possible that the Ancient Egyptians saw birds behaving in this way, from time to time, and used it as the basis of their phoenix myth, adding fanciful details which closely linked it to their worship of the sun and their belief in resurrection.
Nowadays, the phoenix is much less important to us than it was to the Egyptians. But the logo of modern fire insurance companies, which employ the phoenix as one of their symbols, refers that in one sense the idea of it remains.
1. According to the passage, the phoenix _________ .
A.is a handsome and eagle-like bird living in Arab |
B.used to be seen when the Egyptians held religious activities |
C.has never really existed in the world |
D.is the king of all kinds of birds |
2. The reason why birds stand above flames is probably that _________ .
A.the phoenix used to do so | B.they may get rid of the mites |
C.they want to burn their feather | D.they can heat themselves |
3.Which of the following statements is NOT correct?
A.The ancient Egyptians worshiped the phoenix. |
B.The scientists have discovered why birds are attracted by fire. |
C.The modern people still favor the idea of the phoenix. |
D.The mythical tales about the phoenix were based on facts. |
4.Which of the following is closest to the underlined word “resurrection” in the 3rd paragraph?
A.living forever | B.offering warmth |
C.coming back to life | D.staying healthy |
5.What does the phoenix probably mean in the logo of a fire insurance company?
A.Our company can protect you from being harmed by fire. |
B.If your property is destroyed by fire, we will help you build it up again. |
C.Our company will always be energetic and wealthy. |
D.If needed, we will save you at the risk of losing lives. |
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Many of us who have never been to Egypt always ________ Egypt with the ancient pyramids.
A.associate B.abolish C.accumulate D.acquire
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
---Let’s back up. Where was I?
---You ___________________about the trip to South Africa.
A.were talking B.talked C.are talking D.would talk
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Even if you’ve never been to Phoenix, you know this about the place It’s hot. From June to September, the temperature can easily surpass the century mark. But that doesn’t stop hikers from attempting the 1.3-mile hiking to the top of the city’s famed Camelback Mountain. Signs warn that the trail is “extremely difficult”. If you continue, a posted checklist suggests at least a liter of water per person. And if you’re still not stopped, another sign farther up declares: “If you’re halfway through your water, turn around!”
Unfortunately, many people to not take the warnings seriously. Fortunate y, Scott Cullymore does. The 53-year-old Cullymore can be found hiking up and down Camelback a couple of times a day, giving out cold bottles of water to worn-out hikers. He has helped hydrate so many hikers that he has earned a heavenly nickname: the Water Angel.
Cullymore was on Camelback Mountain one day in 2015 when a British tourist died after being lost for nearly six hours in the July heat. That experience inspired him to start helping people caught unaware by the cruelty of Mother Nature. “They underestimate the mountain, and they overestimate what they can do, and they get themselves in trouble.” he warned.
One hiker who was offered water agrees. “You think you know the heat, but then you get out here in the desert and it surrounds you like a blanket,” said Austin Hill, who was hiking with a high school friend. They were lucky, he said pointing to Cullymore. “We ran into this Good Samaritan here.” And with that, the Water Angel goes in search of another hiker in need.
1.What is the first paragraph mainly about?
A.The risks involved in the hiking.
B.The seriousness of the warnings.
C.The distribution of signs that warn hikers.
D.The influence of the temperature on hikers.
2.Why did some hikers on Camelback Mountain get in trouble?
A.They were not well trained in hiking.
B.They forgot to take enough water with them.
C.They were too optimistic about the situation.
D.They were not fit enough to hike the mountain.
3.What can we know about Austin Hill?
A.He agreed to help others. B.He was saved by Cullymore.
C.He hiked alone in the desert. D.He regretted taking a blanket.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.The Camelback Mountain B.Surviving the Heat
C.Hikers in Need D.The Water Angel
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Even if you’ve never been to Phoenix, you know this about the place: It’s hot. But that doesn't stop hikers from attempting the 1.3-mile trek (跋涉) to the top of the city’s famed Camelback Mountain. Signs warn that the trail is “extremely difficult”. If you continue, a posted checklist suggests at least a liter of water per person. And if you keep climbing, another sign farther up declares; “If you’re halfway through your water turn around!”
Unfortunately, many people do not pay attention to the warnings. Fortunately, Scott Cullymore does. The 53-year-old man hikes up and down Camelback a couple of times a day giving out cold bottles of water to worn-out hikers. He has helped so many hikers that he has earned a heavenly nickname: the Water Angel. I’d like a more manly name, but, you know, he told azfamily, com.
Cullymore was on Camelback Mountain one day in 2015 when a British tourist died after being lost for nearly six hours in the July heat. That experience inspired him to start helping people caught unaware by Arizona’s unforgiving version of Mother Nature. “They underestimate the mountain, and they overestimate what they can do, and they get themselves in trouble,” he told the Arizona Republic. If a hiker has a red face and is not sweating anymore, Cullymore reaches into his insulated (隔热的) backpack, pulls out a frosty bottle, and hands it to the person. “It’s misleading that we’re in the middle of the city. You can die up here, and no one would know.”
One hiker who received Cullymore’s water agrees. “You think you know the heat, but then you get out here in the desert and it surrounds you like a blanket,” he said, pointing to Cullymore, “but we are lucky, we run into this good man here.” And with that, the Water Angel goes in search of another hiker in need.
1.What is the purpose of the signs along the hike way?
A.To show the trek is difficult. B.To warn hikers to take enough water.
C.To frighten people to give up. D.To avoid hikers getting lost.
2.What does Scott Cullymone think of his nickname?
A.It’s womanish. B.It’s manly.
C.It’s ironic, D.It’s appropriate.
3.Who will Scott offer his help to?
A.Anybody he meets. B.Those in the middle of the trek.
C.Anyone in need of water. D.Those who sweat a lot.
4.What can be the best title of this text?
A.A Desert-Like Mountain B.Fighting against Heat
C.Necessities for Hiking D.Water Angel
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In ancient Egypt, the pharaoh(法老) treated the message runner like a prince when he arrived at the palace, if he brought good news.However, if the exhausted runner had the misfortune to bring the pharaoh unhappy news, his head was cut off.
Shades of that spirit spread over today's conversations.Once a friend and I packed up some peanut butter and sandwiches for an outing.As we walked light-heartedly out of the door, picnic basket in hand, a smiling neighbor looked up at the sky and said, “Oh boy, a bad day for a picnic.The weatherman says it's going to rain.”I wanted to strike him on the face with the peanut butter and sandwiches.Not for his stupid weather report, but for his smile.
Several months ago I was racing to catch a bus.As I breathlessly put my handful of cash across the Greyhound counter, the sales agent said with a broad smile, “Oh, that bus left five minutes ago.” Dreams_of_head-cutting!
It's not the news that makes someone angry.It's the unsympathetic attitude with which it's delivered(传递). Everyone must give bad news from time to time, and big winners do it with the proper attitude.A doctor advising his patient that she needs an operation does it in a caring way.A boss informing an employee he fails to get the job takes on a sympathetic tone.Big winners know, when delivering any bad news, they should share the feeling of the receiver.
Unfortunately, many people are not aware of this.When you're tired from a long flight, has a hotel clerk cheerfully said that your room isn't ready yet? When you had your heart set on the toasted beef, has your waiter merrily told you that he just served the last piece? It makes you as a traveler or diner want to land your fist right on their unsympathetic faces.
Had my neighbor told me of the upcoming rainstorm with sympathy, I would have appreciated his warning.Had the Greyhound salesclerk sympathetically informed me that my bus had already left, I probably would have said, “Oh, that's all right.I'll catch the next one.” Big winners, when they bear bad news, deliver bombs with the emotion the bombarded(被轰炸的) person is sure to have.
1.From “Dreams of head-cutting!” (Paragraph 3 ) , we learn that the writer______.
A.was reminded of the cruel pharaoh
B.was mad at the sales agent
C.wished that the sales agent would have bad dreams
D.dreamed of cutting the sales agent's head that night
2.Which of the following is true?
A.The author really appreciated the neighbor's warning.
B.From the passage we know that it is the bad news that makes someone angry.
C.If the runner brought to the pharaoh unhappy news, he would be treated like a prince.
D.When we want to deliver any bad news, we should share the feeling of the receiver.
3.What is the main idea of the text?
A.Receiving bad news requires great courage.
B.Helping others sincerely is the key to business success.
C.Delivering bad news with sympathy is important in communication.
D.Learning ancient traditions can be useful.
4.In the writer's opinion, his neighbor was______.
A.not helpful B.not considerate
C.friendly D.warmhearted
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In ancient Egypt, the pharaoh (法老) treated the message runner like a prince if he brought good news. 1., if the exhausted runner had the misfortune to bring, his head was cut off. Shades of that spirit spread over today’s conversations. Once a friend and I packed up some peanut butter and sandwiches in 2.(prepare) for an outing. As we walked 3.(cheerful) out of the door, a smiling neighbor looked up at the sky and said, “Oh boy, a bad day for a picnic for it’s going to rain.” I 4.(strike) him in the face in my mind not for his stupid weather report 5. for his smile.
More often than not, what makes someone angry is not the unpleasant news but the unsympathetic attitude with 6. it’s delivered. Everyone must give bad news from time to time, but big winners know they should share the feeling of the receiver when 7.(deliver) any bad news. If my neighbor 8.(tell) me of the upcoming rainstorm with 9.(sympathetic), I would have appreciated his warning. Big winners, when they bear bad news, deliver bombs with the emotion the bombarded (被轰炸) person is sure 10.(have).
高三英语语法填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
In ancient Egypt, the pharaoh(法老)treated the poor message runner like a prince when he arrived at the palace, if he brought good news. However, if the exhausted runner had the misfortune to bring the pharaoh unhappy news, his head was cut off.
Shades of that spirit spread over today’s conversations. Once a friend and I packed up some peanut butter and sandwiches for an outing. As we walked light-heartedly out the door, picnic basket in hand, a smiling neighbor looked up at the sky and said, ”Oh boy, bad day for a picnic. The weatherman says it’s going to rain.”I wanted to strike him on the face with the peanut butter and sandwiches. Not for his stupid weather report, for his smile.
Several months ago I was racing to catch a him As I breathlessly put my handful of cash across the Grey hound counter, the sales agent said with a broad smile ,”Oh that bus left five minutes ago.”Dreams of head-cutting!
It’s not the news that makes someone angry. It’s the unsympathetic attitude with which it’s the unsympathetic attitude with which it’s delivered. Everyone must give bad news from time to time, and winning professionals do it with the proper attitude. A doctor advising a patient that she needs an operation does it in a caring way. A boss informing an employee he didn’t get the job takes on a sympathetic tone. Big winners know, when delivering any bad news, they should share the feeling of the receiver.
Unfortunately, many people are not aware of this. When you’re tired from a long flight, has a hotel clerk cheerfully said that your room isn’t ready yet? When you had your heart set on the toast beef, has your waiter mainly told you that he just served the last piece? It makes you as traveler or diner want to land your fist right on their unsympathetic faces.
Had my neighbor told me of the upcoming rainstorm with sympathy, I would have appreciated his warming .Had the Greyhound salesclerk sympathetically informed me that my bus had already left, I probably would have said, ” Oh, that’s all right I’ll catch the next one.” Big winners, when they bear bad news ,deliver bombs with the emotion the bombarded(被轰炸的)person is sure to have.
1.In Paragraph 1,the writer tells the story of the pharaoh to ____.
A. make a comparison B. describe a scene
C. introduce a topic D. offer an argument
2.From “Dreams of head-cutting!”(Paragraph3),we learn that the writer___.
A. was mad at the sales agent
B. was reminded of the cruel pharaoh
C. wished that the sales agent would have had dreams
D. dreamed of cutting the sales agent’s head that night.
3.What is the main idea of the text?
A. Learning ancient traditions can be useful.
B. Receiving bad news requires great courage.
C. Helping others sincerely is the key to business success.
D. Delivering bad news properly is important in communication.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In ancient Egypt, the pharaoh(法老) treated the poor message runner like a prince when he arrived at the palace, if he brought good news. However, if the exhausted runner had the misfortune to bring the pharaoh unhappy news, his head was cut off.
Shades of that spirit spread over today’s conversations. Once a friend and I packed up some peanut butter and sandwiches for an outing. As we walked light-heartedly out the door, picnic basket in hand, a smiling neighbor looked up at the sky and said, “Oh boy, bad day for a picnic. The weatherman says it’s going to rain.” I wanted to strike him on the race with the peanut butter and sandwiches. Not for his stupid weather report, for his smile.
Several months ago I was racing to catch a bus. As I breathlessly put my handful of cash across the Greyhound counter, the sales agent said with a broad smile, “Oh that bus left rive minutes ago.” Dreams of head-cutting!
It’s not the news that makes someone angry. It’s the unsympathetic attitude with which it’s delivered. Everyone must give bad mews from time to time, and winning professionals do it with the proper attitude. A. doctor advising a patient that she needs an operation dose it in a caring way A. boss informing an employee he didn’t get the job takes on a sympathetic tone. Big winners know, when delivering any bad news, they should share the feeling of the receiver.
Unfortunately, many people are not aware of this. When you’re tired from a long flight, has a hotel clerk cheerfully said that your room isn’t ready ye? When you had your heart set on the toast beef, has your waiter merrily told you that he just served the last piece? It makes you as traveler or diner want to land your fist right on their unsympathetic faces.
Had my neighbor told me of the upcoming rainstorm with sympathy, I would have appreciated his warning. Had the Greyhound salesclerk sympathetically informed me that my bus had already left, I probably would have said, “Oh, that’s all right. I’ll catch the next one.” Big winners, when they bear bad news, deliver bombs with the emotion the bombarded (被轰炸的) person is sure to have .
1.In Paragraph 1, the writer tells the story of the pharaoh to .
A. make a comparison B. introduce a topic C. describe a scene D. offer an argument
2.In the writer’s opinion, his neighbor was _____________.
A. friendly B. warm-hearted C. not considerate D. not helpful
3.From “Dreams of head-cutting!”(Paragraph 3), we learn that the writer .
A. was mad at the sales agent.
B. was reminded of the cruel pharaoh
C. wished that the sales agent would have had dreams.
D. dreamed of cutting the sales agent’s head that night.
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A. Delivering bad news properly is important in communication.
B. Helping others sincerely is the key to business success.
C. Receiving bad news requires great courage.
D. Learning ancient traditions can be useful.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In ancient Egypt, the pharaoh(法老)treated the poor message runner like a prince when he arrived at the palace, if he brought good news. However, if the exhausted runner had the misfortune to bring the pharaoh unhappy news, his head was cut off.
Shades of that spirit spread over today’s conversations. Once a friend and I packed up some peanut butter and sandwiches for an outing. As we walked light-heartedly out the door, picnic basket in hand, a smiling neighbor looked up at the sky and said, ”Oh boy, bad day for a picnic. The weatherman says it’s going to rain.”I wanted to strike him on the face with the peanut butter and sandwiches. Not for his stupid weather report, for his while
Several months ago I was racing to catch a him As I breathlessly put my handful of cash across the Grey hound counter, the sales agent said with a broad smile ,”Oh that bus left five minutes ago.”Dreams of head-cutting!
It’s not the news that makes someone angry. It’s the unsympathetic attitude with which it’s the unsympathetic attitude with which it’s delivered. Everyone must give bad news from time to time, and winning professionals do it with the proper attitude. A doctor advising a patient that she needs an operation does it in a caring way. A boss informing an employee he didn’t get the job takes on a sympathetic tone. Big winners know, when delivering any bad news, they should share the feeling of the receiver.
Unfortunately, many people are not aware of this. When you’re tired from a long flight, has a hotel clerk cheerfully said that your room isn’t ready yet? When you had your heart set on the toast beef, has your waiter mainly told you that he just served the last piece? It makes you as traveler or diner want to land your fist right on their unsympathetic faces.
Had my neighbor told me of the upcoming rainstorm with sympathy, I would have appreciated his warming .Had the Greyhound salesclerk sympathetically informed me that my bus had already left, I probably would have said, ” Oh, that’s all right I’ll catch the next one.” Big winners, when they bear bad news ,deliver bombs with the emotion the bombarded(被轰炸的)person is sure to have.
1.In Paragraph 1,the writer tells the story of the pharaoh to ____.
A. make a comparison B. introduce a topic
C. describe a scene D. offer an argument
2.In the writer’s opinion, his neighbor was ___.
A. friendly B. warm-hearted C. not considerate D. not helpful
3.From “Dreams of head-cutting!”(Paragraph3),we learn that the writer___.
A. was mad at the sales agent
B. was reminded of the cruel pharaoh
C. wished that the sales agent would have had dreams
D. dreamed of cutting the sales agent’s head that night.
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A. Delivering bad news properly is important in communication.
B. Helping others sincerely is the key to business success.
C. Receiving bad news requires great courage.
D. Learning ancient traditions can be useful.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析