Britain’s symbolic red phone boxes have becom...

Britain’s symbolic red phone boxes have become out of date in the age of the mobile, but villages across the country are stepping in to save them, with creative intelligence. Whether as a place to exhibit art, poetry, or even as a tiny library, hundreds of phone boxes have been given a new life by local communities determined to preserve a typical part of British life. In Waterperry, a small village near Oxford, the 120 residents have filled the phone box next to the old house with a pot of flowers, piles of gardening and cooking magazines, and stuck poems on the walls.

They took control of the phone box when telecoms operator BT said it was going to pull it down, an announcement that caused such dissatisfaction that one local woman threatened to chain herself to the box to save it. “I’d have done it, “ insisted Kendall Turner. “It would have been heartbreaking for the village. “ Local councilor Tricia Hallam, who came up with the idea for the phone box’s change, said quite a few people would have joined her, adding, “ We couldn’t let it go because it’s a British symbol.”

Only three feet by three feet wide, and standing 2.51-meter tall, the phone boxes were designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1936 for the 25^th anniversary of the reign of King George V. Painted in “Post Office red” to match the post boxes, they were once a typical image of England and the backdrop(背景) to millions of tourist photographs.

Eight years ago there were about 17,000 across Britain, but today, in a country where almost everybody has a mobile phone, 58 percent are no longer profitable and ten percent are only used once a month. “On average, maintaining them costs ￡800 a year per phone box-about ￡44 million annually,” said John Lumb, general manager for BT Payphones.

1.Some red phone boxes in Britain have been used for ____.

a. selling flowers    b. cooking   c. reading  d. exhibiting art or poetry

2.Why do the villagers want to keep the red phone boxes?

3.What is the color of the British post boxes according to the passage?

4.What is John Lumb’s attitude towards pulling down the red phone boxes?

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Britain’s symbolic red phone boxes have become out of date in the age of the mobile, but villages across the country are stepping in to save them, with creative intelligence. Whether as a place to exhibit art, poetry, or even as a tiny library, hundreds of phone boxes have been given a new life by local communities determined to preserve a typical part of British life. In Waterperry, a small village near Oxford, the 120 residents have filled the phone box next to the old house with a pot of flowers, piles of gardening and cooking magazines, and stuck poems on the walls.

They took control of the phone box when telecoms operator BT said it was going to pull it down, an announcement that caused such dissatisfaction that one local woman threatened to chain herself to the box to save it. “I’d have done it,”insisted Kendall Turner. “It would have been heartbreaking for the village.”Local councilor Tricia Hallam, who came up with the idea for the phone box’s change, said quite a few people would have joined her, adding, “We couldn’t let it go because it’s a British symbol.”

Only three feet by three feet wide, and standing 2.51-meter tall, the phone boxes were designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1936 for the 25^th anniversary of the reign of King George V.Painted in “Post Office red” to match the post boxes, they were once a typical image of England and the backdrop（背景）to millions of tourist photographs.

Eight years ago there were about 17,000 across Britain, but today, in a country where almost everybody has a mobile phone, 58 percent are no longer profitable and ten percent are only used once a month. “On average, maintaining them costs $800 a year per phone box — about ￡44 million annually,” said John Lunb, general manager for BT Payphones.

1..Some red phone boxes in Britain have been used for ______ .

a.selling flowers     b.cooking           c.reading       d.exhibiting art or poetry

A.a,b             B.c,d           C.a,b,c         D.b,c,d

2..Why do the villagers want to keep the red phone boxes ?

A.Because millions of people visit Britain to see the red phone boxes.

B.Because the local people could earn a lot of money from the red phone boxes.

C.Because the red phone boxes have already become a symbol of Britain.

D.Because the red phone boxes may be useful for some people in emergency.

3..What is the color of the British post boxes according to the passage ?

A.Green.          B.Red.          C.Black.            D.Yellow.

4..What is John Lumb’s attitude towards pulling down the red phone boxes ?

A.Supportive.     B.Opposed.      C.Neutral.      D.Indifferent.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

This may be sad to hear, but the number of Britain’s famous red telephone boxes has been falling for decades. The phone box is iconic (标志性的) to foreign fans of Britain and visitors to the country. There are still many left to enjoy, however.

There is deep feeling for the bright red iron-and-glass boxes with the Queen’s coat of arms. The places that still have the red box are mostly small and in the countryside. In these places, the phone box may be a symbol of community, as well as a landmark.

But there are still several cities, including London, that still have original red phone boxes in place.

For tourists, they probably make the perfect background for a selfie (自拍照). Visit London any day in the summer and you’ll see people with their smart phones taking photos with the red box behind them. People who receive the photo will have no trouble guessing where the selfie was taken.

Ever since mobile phones became more widespread, there has been less and less point in public phones. But although the red boxes are no longer popular places to make a call from, new uses are being found for them all the time. The famous design created by Giles Gilbert Scott back in 1924 lives on, but in ways the British architect would never have imagined.

Some of the new ways the phone boxes are being used are quite unusual. For example, some have been changed into tiny coffee shops. Others are hat stores. In one remote area of the country, a red box that had not been used for a long time has been turned into a small lending library.

Even back in their heyday in the last century, phone boxes were put to other uses. Some people even used them as toilets in an emergency.

But for many, they were a safe place to hide if you were caught up in the rain. Britain’s weather is unpredictable: sun one moment, heavy rain the next. So if you are planning to visit the UK and want the perfect British selfie, standing inside a red telephone box in a rainstorm may be your best bet.

1.According to the author, the red phone boxes in Britain are special because 　　　　 .

A. they can be put into different kinds of use

B. they are only found in the British countryside

C. they hold great meaning to some British communities

D. they have a deep connection with the royal family

2.We can learn from the article that British red phone boxes 　　　　 .

A. are mostly made of wood and glass

B. first appeared in big cities such as London

C. were designed by a British architect in the 1930s

D. are not used much for phone calls these days

3.The underlined word “heyday” in the second to last paragraph probably means 　　　　 .

A. a popular time　　 B. a bad time

C. an unusual time　　 D. a happy time

4.The purpose of the last paragraph is to 　　　　 .

A. explain how to deal with Britain’s changeable weather

B. describe a common way of making use of a red phone box in the UK

C. advise visitors to take a selfie standing inside a red telephone box

D. show how to use a red phone box in the case of an emergency

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Mobile phone users have developed a series of symbols, such as ^_^ and └(^o^)┘， to show________they feel.

A. which                B. why              C. how              D. what

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

––What a journey! We’ve finally arrived!

––_____ an out-of-date train schedule, we would not have missed the train.

A.Had we not used　　　　 　　　　 　 B. Did we use

C. If we didn’t use    　　　　　 D. If we had used

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

The children have been playing with my hat ---they’ve knocked it out of _____.

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

You have been sitting on my hat and now it is badly out of __________.

A. date     B. order      C. shape        D. balance

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

We have phoned her several times, but unfortunately she is still out of ________ .

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Bright red post boxes, the Queen and queuing—what do they all have in common? They are all important parts of British life. At least I thought so.

However, the ability to queue for long periods of time, once believed to be a traditional characteristic of the British, is no longer tolerated by people in the UK, according to a survey done for British bank Barclays.

Once upon a time, queuing was seen as normal. During World WarⅡ, everyone had to queue up to receive their daily supply of foods. In fact, if you didn't stand up and wait in line with all the others, it was seen as uncivilized.

The famous English double-decker buses, with only one entrance, might also help explain why queuing was seen as a part of British life. Almost always, there is queue to get on.

But perhaps the British are tired of being pushed past by the Spanish, the Italians or the French as they queue up to get a table at a restaurant. The people of these other European countries have more than one entrance to their buses, which explains their more relaxed attitude to the queue.

Two minutes is now the longest time most British people are prepared to stand and wait. But could it be that the Internet, which allows us to carry out tasks quickly, is the main reason why British people are no longer prepared to queue?

"Used to buying without delay, customers are even giving up purchases rather than wait their turn," says Stuart Neal of Barclaycard. "Shoppers are also less likely to queue for long if the item they are buying is of low value."

Perhaps I will have to replace "queuing" with "impatience" in my list of things I relate to the British.

1. What can we learn about the tradition of queuing in Britain?

A. It was considered a symbol of a civilized behavior.

B. It was a long time tradition as old as the Queen.

C. It was a product of the slow pace of life.

D. It has made the Britain different from other Europeans.

2. According to the passage, the British gradually stopped queuing because ______.

A. they prefer shopping online

B. the Internet has changed their way of life

C. what they are buying is of low value

D. they follow the example of foreigners

3. It can be learned from the text that ______.

A. the British used to buy without delay

B. the British have to queue to receive food

C. the British get impatient with queuing for long

D. the British prefer to take double-decker buses

4.The author's main purpose of writing the passage is _______.

A. to tell us the influence of the Internet on the British ways of life

B. to compare the cultural difference between Britain and other countries

C. to report his research on the British ways of life

D. to talk about the changes in the attitude to queuing in Britain

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Internet dating has become one of the biggest and most successful business ventures on the Internet. Basically, Internet dating is a way to meet people for either friendship or dating without actually having to meet them in person first.

The first thing to do if you decide to try Internet dating is to build your profile(简介) which can include your hobbies, hopes for the future, and so on. A photograph is optional, but many sites claim that a photograph increases the number of people who look at your profile. Many Internet dating sites will charge a one-time registration fee to use their services.

Internet dating makes it possible to meet people from all over the world. You can even narrow the search down to your area by zip code. Another advantage is that you can　 communicate by email before you meet in person. Thousands of people have met, fallen in love, and married through Internet dating. It is an excellent way for shy people to meet. It is also a way for people with busy lives to connect with others, and an easy way to meet people who share your interests.

Just as in conventional dating and love, there are some pitfalls to be aware of in Internet dating. The person you have been talking to on the net may not be who they say they are. Be very aware that there are some people who misrepresent their appearance or private details, such as marital status, income, and so on, for their own reasons. It would not be the first time that someone has been taken in, and talk shows are full of cheating partners who have been caught dating over the Internet in their spare time. Nevertheless, taking a few simple precautions should help ensure that your Internet dating experience is fun.

1.Which of the following is a must to make an Internet dating possible?

A. A photo.　　 B. A profile.

C. Registration fee.　　 D. Business experience.

2.One advantage of Internet dating is that _______.

A. you can avoid a face-to-face meeting in the beginning

B. you're sure to find a partner with the same interests

C. you'll find absolutely reliable information of others

D. you'll gain fame and money overnight

3.The underlined word "pitfalls" in Paragraph 4 most probably means ________.

A. rules　　 B. trends

C. problems　　 D. skills

4.What is probably talked about following the last paragraph?

A. Conventional dating.　　 B. Hidden advantages.

C. Safety measures.　　 D. Romantic love.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析