Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend. But some women show great interest in colorful beads(珠子)from Uganda made of recycled paper. The beads are sold by a nonprofit organization called BeadforLife.
BeadforLife began as a chance meeting between three American women on a trip to Uganda and a local jewelry maker. Millie Grace Akena was rolling paper beads near her home. She made paper beads as a hobby. But there was no real market in her country.
Torkin Wakefield says she and her daughters Devin and Ginny brought some of the beads back home. Immediately people started admiring the beads. The three Americans started BeadforLife in 2004. Nearly 700 women have taken part.
The group says its beaders earn an average of more than 2,000 dollars a year in the program. This is five times what they earned before. The beads are sold across Uganda and in Boulder, Colorado. They are also sold online and at jewelry shows called bead parties. “Because they have meaning, because these are gifts that help people, when folks in America and beyond buy our beads, they feel a sense of generosity. They feel a direct connection, like they can really take part in getting rid of poverty.” Torkin said.
The jewelry costs between five and thirty dollars. BeadforLife reported sales in its last budget year of more that 3.5 million dollars. It says for every ten-dollar necklace sold, the beader gets two dollars and forty-three cents in money or materials. It says more than 90% of earnings are reinvested in community development projects in Uganda. Torkin Wakefield estimates that BeadforLife has helped more than 8,000 people this way.
So what about Millie Grace Akena, the jewelry maker? Mrs Wakefield says she has gone on to organize a small group of women who work with her, and they sell their beads to a religious group.
1.According to the passage, BeadforLife is an organization that ______.
A. provides poor people worldwide with free education
B. mainly encourages people to learn to earn a living on their own
C. has attracted many businessmen to invest in beading
D. supports community development projects in Uganda
2.When Torkin Wakefield brought the beads to America, ______.
A. she didn’t know people would like them
B. she wanted to make a fortune out of them
C. people showed great interest in them at once
D. she was thinking of how to find investors
3.According to Paragraph 4, the beads are popular because ______.
A. people think buying them is a good way to help the poor
B. they are of good quality and can be kept for a long time
C. they symbolize the most important thing in people’s life
D. they look even more beautiful than diamonds
4.Which of the following can best summarize the main idea of the passage?
A. Mrs Wakefield makes a great contribution to developing countries.
B. BeadforLife makes beads out of recycled paper.
C. BeadforLife uses paper beads to improve people’s lives.
D. Mrs Wakefield’s career takes off thanks to paper beads.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend. But some women show great interest in colorful beads(珠子)from Uganda made of recycled paper. The beads are sold by a nonprofit organization called BeadforLife.
BeadforLife began as a chance meeting between three American women on a trip to Uganda and a local jewelry maker. Millie Grace Akena was rolling paper beads near her home. She made paper beads as a hobby. But there was no real market in her country.
Torkin Wakefield says she and her daughters Devin and Ginny brought some of the beads back home. Immediately people started admiring the beads. The three Americans started BeadforLife in 2004. Nearly 700 women have taken part.
The group says its beaders earn an average of more than 2,000 dollars a year in the program. This is five times what they earned before. The beads are sold across Uganda and in Boulder, Colorado. They are also sold online and at jewelry shows called bead parties. “Because they have meaning, because these are gifts that help people, when folks in America and beyond buy our beads, they feel a sense of generosity. They feel a direct connection, like they can really take part in getting rid of poverty.” Torkin said.
The jewelry costs between five and thirty dollars. BeadforLife reported sales in its last budget year of more that 3.5 million dollars. It says for every ten-dollar necklace sold, the beader gets two dollars and forty-three cents in money or materials. It says more than 90% of earnings are reinvested in community development projects in Uganda. Torkin Wakefield estimates that BeadforLife has helped more than 8,000 people this way.
So what about Millie Grace Akena, the jewelry maker? Mrs Wakefield says she has gone on to organize a small group of women who work with her, and they sell their beads to a religious group.
1.According to the passage, BeadforLife is an organization that ______.
A. provides poor people worldwide with free education
B. mainly encourages people to learn to earn a living on their own
C. has attracted many businessmen to invest in beading
D. supports community development projects in Uganda
2.When Torkin Wakefield brought the beads to America, ______.
A. she didn’t know people would like them
B. she wanted to make a fortune out of them
C. people showed great interest in them at once
D. she was thinking of how to find investors
3.According to Paragraph 4, the beads are popular because ______.
A. people think buying them is a good way to help the poor
B. they are of good quality and can be kept for a long time
C. they symbolize the most important thing in people’s life
D. they look even more beautiful than diamonds
4.Which of the following can best summarize the main idea of the passage?
A. Mrs Wakefield makes a great contribution to developing countries.
B. BeadforLife makes beads out of recycled paper.
C. BeadforLife uses paper beads to improve people’s lives.
D. Mrs Wakefield’s career takes off thanks to paper beads.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Best friends may be priceless but the cost of keeping the relationship alive is £23,870.
According to a study, a BFF (best friends forever) does not come cheap with devoted friends spending £4,679 on birthday presents alone over a lifetime. And while it costs nothing to be a shoulder to cry on, big-hearted Britons go the extra mile and spend £168 on pick-me-ups(提神物品) to get their mate through a rocky patch (艰难时刻)like the breakup of a relationship.
There’s a further £242 spent on presents to show how much they mean from gifts bought on holiday to treats for no reason. And distance does not break up a close friendship as BFFs spend a whopping(巨大的) £18,000 on travel to see each other despite being miles apart because of university, jobs and marriage.
The study by cashback site TopCashBack found on average BEFs who marry can expect £431 spent on them and a further £283 on gifts when they have children. And they can rely on their pals to help out when they move houses as they will obtain £127 worth of housewarming presents and takeaways(a kind of food).
The survey based on a friendship lasting 40 years found more than eight in ten adults with a BFF felt their friendships were worth every penny.
TopCashback spokesperson Natasha Smith said: “Those friendships which stand the test of time are often the most important in our lives. However, they come at a cost. From train tickets once a month to flights and a new dress for a wedding on the Italian coast, the price paid for having a best mate can soon add up. But when we asked people to compare their friendship with the financial investment(投资), only 14% thought their friendship was equal to their investment with the vast majority thinking it was worth more."
1. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. generous B. ambitious
C. troublesome D. energetic
2.To keep the relationship, where do BEFs spend the most money?
A. Buying birthday presents.
B. Cheering up a friend in low spirits.
C. Paying for holiday gifts and other treats.
D. Going a particular distance to visit friends.
3.What is Natasha’s understanding of BEF friendship?
A. It’s costly and unaffordable.
B. It’s expensive but worthwhile.
C. It’s rewarding but hard to keep.
D. It’s changeable but worth possessing.
4. How is the passage developed?
A. By listing figures.
B. By giving examples.
C. By analying causes.
D. By making comparisons.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In the eyes of dog lovers, the dog is man’s best friend. But for much wildlife, loose dogs may be a dangerous enemy, according to a study by a biologist from Utah State University in the US.
Based on much existing research and their own case studies, Julie Smith of Utah State University and four other scientists conclude that loose dogs may represent a huge danger to wildlife, especially endangered species, by hunting down or worrying them and by spreading diseases. They also found that dogs, their worldwide numbers around 500 million, can cause more damage to wildlife and livestock(牲畜) than wolves and other enemies of these animals.
Smith gave examples from the US state of Idaho, where research showed the presence of dogs reducing some deer populations. On the Navajo American Indians’ reservation in northeastern Arizona, packs of loose dogs are attacking livestock. They have killed populations of small animals such as rabbits and act as a disease carrier for rabies(狂犬病) among people and other animals, she said. Loose dogs also were to blame for distemper(温热病) outbreak leading to a die-off of endangered black-footed ferrets in northwestern Wyoming in the 1980s.
The phenomenon is not just limited to US; it’s a global problem. Julie Smith once studied three endangered species in central Asia: wild sheep, gazelles and antelope. The rate of injury and death to these animals by loose dogs was very high. In another case, Smith found that dogs, not wolves, as originally suspected, were responsible for a large number of livestock killings in the mountainous Basque country between Spain and France.
Authors of the new study said the problem is likely to worsen as communities expand. Then how to deal with it?
Indeed, in many countries, leash(拴狗的皮带) laws permit punishment of dog owners whose pets attack wildlife. But lawbreakers are rarely punished because the police lack both people and money.
Smith has low-cost solutions to the problem for dog lovers, though. They include public dog-training programs and vaccinating (预防接种) dogs against rabies and other illnesses.
1.Julie Smith’s study mainly tells us that _______.
A.many species are endangered because they are killed by loose dogs. |
B.wild dogs are immune to many diseases. |
C.wolves are still the greatest enemy of livestock. |
D.loose dogs are a great danger to wildlife. |
2.Which of the following statements about loose dogs is TRUE according to the research?
A.There are around 500 million loose dogs around the world. |
B.The black-footed ferrets in northwestern Wyoming were once the main food source of local loose dogs. |
C.The problem caused by loose dogs is the most serious in the US. |
D.People used to think that wolves, rather than loose dogs killed livestock in the Basque country. |
3.Which of the following is among Julie Smith’s solutions to the trouble caused by loose dogs?
A.More strict leash laws |
B.Public dog-training programs. |
C.Vaccinating people against rabies and other illnesses. |
D.More support from the police. |
4.What is the main point of the article?
A.A global disaster caused by loose dogs. |
B.What makes the dog man’s greatest friend. |
C.The problem of loose dogs and the possible solutions. |
D.The danger of the increasing numbers of dogs. |
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
.
Having friends may well keep you healthier and help you deal with stress better. Some studies show that people with close friends have a greater ability to fight disease than people who are alone.
Make friendship a priority(优先). Find the time to be with friends even if it means letting the lawn go unmowed(未割草) or the dishes unwashed for a while. When you can’ t get together, use the phone to keep in touch.
Open up to close friends. Maintaining a deep friendship requires a level of heartfelt intimacy(亲密). Don’t be afraid to express your inner fears and disappointments. Listen to your friends when they have problem, but offer advice only when it’s wanted. Help raise friends’ self-esteem when they are shaken by a job loss, or other such events.
Have different friends for different activities, such as going to the movies, singing in a choir(合唱), and joining in a bowling league.
Don’t wait for a friend to ask a favor. When a friend has the flu, offer to go to the store or drive his or her children to their after-school activities.
Never take a friendship for granted. Like a good marriage, friendship needs care and patience. Become a joiner. Find a group that matches your interests.
Talk to strangers. Conversations started in museums, laundry rooms, or bookstores can lead to firm friendship.
Enroll in an adult-education course. A classroom is an ideal place to meet others with similar interests.
60. People with close friends have a ____ ability to fight disease than people who are alone.
A. less B. greater C. poorer D. little
61. What we should do to have friends according to the author?
A. Make friendship a priority. B. Open up to close friends.
C. Never take a friendship for granted D. All the above.
62. Which of the statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. You should have different friends for the same activities.
B. You should wait for a friend to ask a favor.
C. You should avoid talking with stranger in museums, laundry rooms of bookstores.
D. You should never take a friendship for granted.
63. . The underlined word “ enroll” in the last paragraph means _____.
A. give B. join C. get D. catch
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Sitting at the back of the room but in front of some old men and women ______ a very shy girl with two bright eyes.
A. was B. were C. are D. being
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Sitting at the back of the room but in front of some old men and women ______ a very shy girl with two bright eyes.
A. was B. were C. are D. being
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
Your friends' lives may look more exciting than yours on Facebook,but new research shows that is because they are faking(伪造)it.
A recent survey has found around twothirds of people on social media post images(图像) to their personal information to make their lives seem more adventurous.And more than three quarters of those asked said they judged their peers(同龄人)based on what they saw on their Instagram,Snapchat or Facebook pages.
The British survey,by smartphone maker HTC,found that,in order to make our own pages and lives appear more exciting,six percent also said they had borrowed items to include in the images in order to pass them off as their own. More than half of those surveyed said they posted images of items and places purely to show off,causing_jealousy among friends and family.
Behavioural psychologist Hemmings said the trend was unsurprising due to the rise of social media.“We're living in a world of instant communication.”she said.“Fashion and style used to live and die in magazines;now people are in search of authentic (真实的),peertopeer recommendations as well,making social media an equal power house to magazines and newspapers.”
“With images being shared in an instant we desire to know what our friends are wearing,or what super stars are buying, as soon as they have got them.” Such is the influence of social media sites like Instagram,76 percent of those asked also said seeing items on social media influences them to buy them,with men more likely to take style advice and buy what they see.
1.How do some people make their lives appear more exciting?
A. By buying pictures.
B. By posting images.
C. By making up stories.
D. By risking their lives.
2.What does the word “jealousy” in Paragraph 3 mean?
A.Envy. B.Conflict. C.Adventure. D.Misunderstanding.
3.What can we learn from Jo Hemmings?
A.The trend reflects the development of social media.
B.Fashion and style no longer exist in magazines.
C.Magazines and newspapers are less important.
D.The trend is beyond people's expectation.
4.Which of the following best describes social media like Instagram?
A.Persuasive. B.Creative. C.Positive. D.Honest.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
How to Read a Book
Books can be your best friends.1.They can introduce you to things you may never see …But do you know how to read them in order to get the fullest enjoyment possible? The following tips should help.
◆2.Look in the library or in one of the large bookstores.You could also ask friends if you could have a look at their book shelves. Search the shelves until you find a book that looks good.Read the first page to see how it reads, and the cover text on the back of the book, if it has any.If you are already concentrating,then buy it or borrow it.
◆Do not start to read it until you have the time.3.And set aside time to do nothing else but read,as it can be,at times,suspenseful(悬疑的),exciting and relaxing.
◆Get comfortable on the couch.Have a lamp behind you, lighting the area where you are reading.Make sure the television is off and that anything else that could distract(使分心) you has been attended to.4.
◆Start the book by turning the pages and really enjoy it.Do not think about anything else but what you are reading.Put yourself into the action or location in the story.Once you concentrate completely, it will be difficult to put the book down.And remember that reading is not running your eyes over a book.5.However,if you need to read the book quickly,then you do not need to pay attention to every word.
A. Find a book.
B. Look for a place.
C. Otherwise, you will miss it.
D. You should read it actively and enjoy it completely.
E. They can take you to places that you may never go.
F. Get warm if you are going to be sitting still for a few hours.
G. If you are busy doing other things, you should wait until you have finished them.
高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
It may not be news to parents of teenage girls, but researchers have confirmed that no one can stop their 16-year-old daughter from deciding how the family spends its money.
The willpower and determination of teenage girls give them a big say in how a family’s money is spent on everything from food and meals to mobile phones, and, of course, clothes. Teenage boys did not show up at all in the analysis, which was designed to find out the influence of young people on household spending.
The findings on the spending power of teenage girls were calculated from Office for National Statistics records of family spending during the 1980s and 1990s. Researchers examined how much money went on services and leisure goods in different kinds of homes. They checked spending on food, restaurant meals, alcohol, tobacco, services, heating, transport, clothes and sports in 2,745 British families.
They found that teenage girls in the UK typically played an active role in family decisions about the allocation(分配)of household resources. But older children— those over the age of 21 who are still living with their parents—appear to have no say in household decisions.
They also tried to calculate to what extent the bargaining power of a teenager affected family budgets. “Every parent knows that children, even at a very early age, have their own preferences with regard to consumption, researchers said. “But children are only interested in a limited range of goods—mainly sweets and toys—and parents are able to use punishment to reduce their children’s bargaining power or remove it.” When they become teenagers, however, girls are much more independent and they are capable of earning their own money, which improves their bargaining power in family decisions.
The researchers could not explain why girls have more influence over spending while the evidence for boys is much less conclusive. However, this study could be of great significance to market research and how marketers target children.
1. From the passage we can learn that ________.
A.teenage girls have more influence over family budgets than teenage boys |
B.teenage boys don't want to decide on household spending |
C.teenage boys have some influence over household |
D.teenage girls have weaker willpower and determination than teenage boys |
2.What does the underlined part “give them a big say” in the second paragraph mean?
A.Make them dare to say something. |
B.Make them want to know. |
C.Make them say something meaningful. |
D.Make their influence stronger. |
3.It appears that household decisions are NOT affected by ________.
A.girls living with parents |
B.girls over 21 |
C.girls over 12 |
D.girls living alone |
4.How can parents reduce children’s bargaining power?
A.By persuading them |
B.By offering them sweets or toys. |
C.By threatening to punish them. |
D.By allocating household resources. |
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
He _______ the best person you had been expecting for the job, but who else _______?
A.may not be; could be
B.couldn’t be; might be
C.might not have been; could have been
D.mustn’t be; must have been
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析