Mary Cassatt is one of the first great women ...

Mary Cassatt is one of the first great women American painters. At first her father did not want her to become an artist. But she followed her dreams and became an artist. She was born on May 22, 1844, and lived in Europe for several years as a child.

Her family returned to the United States and, at age 16, Mary attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Four years later she decided she couldn't learn anything fresh and practical in Philadelphia, so she returned to Europe. There she studied the skills of the masters in Rome, Seville, Antwerp, and Paris.

Mary received the chance of a lifetime at the age of 33 when the famous Frenchpainter, Edgar Degas, asked her to join a group of painters that included now-famous artists like Manet and Renoir. Their style of painting is called Impressionism. They used primary colors and short brush strokes in their work. They recognized Mary’s spirit and powerful talent and invited her to exhibit in the Impressionist art shows.

Mary painted what she saw: gardens and paintings of persons, especially of mothers and children involved in everyday living. One of her paintings, "Young Mother and Two Children," was given to the White House in 1954 where it hangs today.

Mary never married and, in 1877, her parents and sister moved to Europe to join her. Mary devoted much of her time to them for the next 18 years to their care. Mary painted until 1914 when her failing eyesight made it impossible to continue. She spent the later years of her life in Paris. She died in 1926 at the age of 82. Unfortunately, all her life, she refused to accept students.

1.Which year was the most vital to her career and life?

A．1877             B．1864             C．1860             D．1914

2.Mary left Pennsylvania for Europe at age 20 mainly because_____.

A. she didn’t learn anything in Pennsylvania

B she wanted to give up painting

C. her desire for the learning wasn’t satisfied well

D. her father didn’t want her to learn painting again

3. Mary Cassatt stopping painting because of_____.

A．her poor eyesight                       B．her old age

C．lack of interest                         D．her family

4. Which of the statements about Mary Cassatt is supported by the passage?

A. Her painting featured scenes of everyday living

B. Her father had a decisive(决定性的) effect on her painting

C. She used various colors and long lines in her works

D. She studied the paintings of the masters in U.S.A.

5. It can be inferred from the passage that _____.

A．the paintings of Edgar Degas belong to realism

B．during the last ten year of life, she painted nothing.

C．her works were controversial though highly recognized

D．her students showed great respect for her

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Oprah Winfrey, the queen of American daytime talk TV, is considered one of the most powerful women in the world．Now, after 25 years’ hosting The Oprah Winfrey Show, the star has announced she is calling it quits．

According to the Los Angeles Times, the move “signals the beginning of the decline for the daytime talk show．” More women are working full-time jobs, and people are turning to cable (有线电视) and pre-recorded shows for their entertainment．

It may be that Oprah isn’t quitting so much as moving on．She has created the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), and will most likely move her show to the network．If audiences around the world need Oprah, they well know where to look．

Oprah Winfrey was born to a single teenage mother in a small town in rural Mississippi, US．As a child, she lived with poverty and abuse．But she got a job at a local radio station, where her honesty, emotional style won her many fans．She quickly rose through the ranks of radio and television before launching her own production company and starting her own show．

Oprah’s talk show was not the first of its kind, but it quickly became the best and most popular．It made talk shows popular, and others jumped in to start similar shows．But while other talk shows turned ugly, featuring guests who argued and attacked each other with chairs, Oprah rose above the mess．

“Part of her power lies in the fact that her life story resonates (产生共鸣) with her audience, as a kind of version of the American dream,” writes Kevin Connolly, a reporter with the BBC．

She became a star because of the way she opened up about her problems to her audience．She shared her own struggles with relationships and weight．She focused on self-help．Connolly believes “something in her honesty and her sometimes painfully emotional directness struck home with a certain type of American”．

1.Which of the following statements is NOT true?

2.What does the underlined sentence mean?

3.From Kevin Connolly, we know people like Oprah’s show for all the reasons EXCEPT ________．

4.According to the text, Oprah ________．

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Success _________three key factors: diligence, talent and luck, of which the first one is of great  importance .

A．breaks down       B．puts up           C．divides into        D．consists of

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

One of the most successful, influential and beloved women in American history, Eleanor Roosevelt once said that she had one regret: she wished she had been prettier. Who hasn’t felt the same way? We are all too aware of our physical imperfections. To overcome them, we spend billions upon billions every year. Why do we care so much about how we look? Because it matters. Because beauty is powerful. Because even we learn to value people mostly for being kind and wise and funny, we are still moved by beauty.

Aristotle said, “Beauty is a greater recommendation than any letter of introduction”. It’s not fair, but it’s true. We simply treat beautiful people better than we do others. Attach a photograph of a beautiful author to an essay, and people will think that it is more creative and more intelligently written than exactly the same essay accompanied by the photo of a homely author. As children, beautiful people are more likely to become favorites with parents and teachers. Later, they are more likely to get good jobs. Attractive people in need are more likely to receive help from strangers.

These days, women and men both rely on advanced technology to improve their beauty. Wrinkles can be stretched away with a face lift. Special injections can make lips look young and plump (丰满的). Besides being a sign of youth, good skin also means that the person is likely to be healthy. Still, it is possible to go too far. At the end of the 19th century, some women even had their ribs (肋骨) removed so they’d have that perfect narrow waist.

Our sensitivity to physical beauty is not something we can control at will. We are born with it. Experiments showed that even small infants prefer to look at attractive faces. Before they have met a single supermodel, before they have watched a single TV show, before they have opened up a single fashion magazine, they are drawn to the same faces which adults have judged to be attractive.

There are more important things in life than beauty. But as Nancy Etcoff says, “We have to understand beauty, or we will always be enslaved by it.” If you aim to be wise and kind and funny, it doesn’t mean that you can't also try your best to look beautiful. There’s no reason to feel guilty about being moved by beauty’s power. It moves us all.

1.Which of the following proverbs has the opposite meaning of Aristotle’s sentence in Paragraph 2?

A.Never judge a book by its cover. B.Act on second thoughts.

C.Leave your luck while winning. D.Great minds think alike.

2.The underlined word “homely” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by ____.

A.attractive B.plain C.beautiful D.handsome

3.According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A.People are all slaves to beauty.

B.Beauty can ensure good jobs.

C.Advanced technology helps improve beauty.

D.People value beauty over other virtues.

4.What’s the best title of this passage?

A.The Power of Beauty B.Huge Costs of Beauty

C.Bad Effects of Beauty D.Various Ways to Beauty

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

American women experience a great variety of lifestyle. A typical American woman may be single. She may also be divorced or married. She may be a homemaker, a doctor or a factory worker. It is very difficult to generalize about American women. However, one thing that many American women have in common is their attitudes about themselves and their roles in American life.

Historically, American women have always been very independent. The first settlers to come to New England were ten young couples that had left behind their extended families. The women were alone in a new, undeveloped country with their husbands. This has two important effects. First of all, this was the uncivilized environment that demanded every person to share in developing it and in survival. Women worked with their husbands and children to make themselves accepted in this new land. Second, because they were in a new land without the established influence of older members of society, women felt free to step into non—traditional roles.

This role of women was strengthened in later years as Americans move west again, leaving families behind and meeting a new environment. Even later, in the east, as new settlers arrived, women often found jobs more easily than men. Women became the supporters of the family.

Within the established lifestyle of the industrialized twentieth century, the strong role of women was not attractive as in the early days of the country. Some women stepped into the men’s jobs as factory and business workers. After the war, some women stayed in these positions, and others left their jobs with a new sense of ability.

1.A typical American woman is______________.

A．single or married                       B． divorced

C．sure about herself and her role             D． all of the above

2. During the industrialized twentieth century, the role of women__________.

A．was found out

B．was as important as before.

C．declined

D．was stronger than that of the early days

3. Women took part in men’s job during the time of_________.

A．the Second World War

B． the Westward Movement

C． the early immigration

D． the industrialized twentieth century.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Many visitors find the pace at which American people move very troubling. One’s first ______ is likely to be that everyone is in a rush. City people always ______ to be hurrying to get where they are going and are very impatient if they are delayed even for a brief moment.

____, this may seem unfriendly to you. But drivers will ______ you; storekeepers will be in a hurry as they ______ you; people will push you ______ they walk along the street. You will ______ smiles, brief conversations with people as you shop or dine away from home. Do not ______ that because Americans are in such a hurry they are ______. Often, life is much slower outside the big cities, as is true in other countries______.

Americans who live in cities such as New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles, often think that everyone is ______ in a hurry to get things done; they ______ others to “push back”, just as city people do in Tokyo, Singapore or Paris, for example. ______ when they discover that you are a stranger, most Americans become quite kind and will take great ______ to help you. Many of them first came to the city as ______ and they remember how frightening a new city can be. If you need help or want to ask a question, _______ a friendly-looking person and say, “I am a stranger here. Can you help me?”

Most people will stop, smile at you, and help you find your ______ or answer your questions. But you must let them know that you need help. Otherwise they are ______ to pass you by, not noticing that you are new to the city and in ______ of help. Occasionally, you may find someone too busy or perhaps too rushed to give you aid. If this happens, don’t be ______; just ask someone else. Most Americans enjoy helping a stranger.

1.A. mistake　　 B. discovery　　 C. experience　　 D. impression

2.A. chance　　 B. appear　　 C. pause　　 D. come

3.A. At times　　 B. In the end　　 C. At first　　 D. Now and then

4.A. rush　　 B. load　　 C. remind　　 D. send

5.A. drive　　 B. persuade　　 C. employ　　 D. serve

6.A. because　　 B. as　　 C. although　　 D. before

7.A. wear　　 B. enjoy　　 C. miss　　 D. trust

8.A. think　　 B. shock　　 C. watch　　 D. attract

9.A. unhappy　　 B. unexpected　　 C. uncertain　　 D. unfriendly

10.A. as usual　　 B. as well　　 C. in need　　 D. in reply

11.A. equally　　 B. generally　　 C. endlessly　　 D. frequently

12.A. forbid　　 B. limit　　 C. expect　　 D. choose

13.A. Even if　　 B. So　　 C. And　　 D. But

14.A. temper　　 B. care　　 C. step　　 D. energy

15.A. rebellers　　 B. experts　　 C. strangers　　 D. patients

16.A. choose　　　　　 　　 B. reject　　 C. disturb　　 D. avoid

17.A. hotel　　 B. way　　 C. necessity　　 D. duty

18.A. likely　　 B. unable　　 C. nervous　　 D. terrible

19.A. face　　 B. charge　　 C. front　　 D. need

20.A. gentle　　 B. tired　　 C. discouraged　　 D. surprised

高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

American scientists have developed the first material that repairs itself. The material is a form of plastic that has been engineered to fill breaks in its surface.

Plastics are used today in everything. Scientists wanted to find a way to make objects made of plastic last longer. The researchers hope their new discovery can be used to make objects that are difficult or impossible to replace.

The surface of plastic objects breaks over time. Very small breaks develop every time a plastic object is used. The researchers wanted to find out how to stop plastic from developing small breaks that weaken and destroy it. They found the answer in the chemical structure of plastic itself. The research team found a way to make plastic that contains very small balloons filled with monomer(单体) liquid.　 When the new plastic cracks, the monomer liquid is let out and flows into the crack. Thus the break is repaired. The repaired plastic has seventy-five percent of the strength of undamaged plastic.

The new self-repairing plastic is not yet ready for production. But it has several possible uses. One could be in space vehicles where parts cannot be repaired or replaced. Another possible use might be in bridges. And it could be used in people, to replace bone joints that have become broken or damaged.

1.The passage mainly talks about_______ .

A. plastic that repairs itself

B. the chemical structure of plastic

C. permanent material invented

D. small balloons that makes plastic stronger

2.We know from the passage that the repair is done as_______.

A. the cracked plastic parts are changed

B. the plastic cracks

C. the liquid is put into the plastic cracks

D. the plastic is made

3.The scientist are planning to use the new material in space vehicles, bridges and people because________.

A. the plastic parts in them are required to last longer

B. they want to experiment in these places first

C. the new material cannot be used elsewhere

D. the plastic parts in them are easily broken or damaged

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

One of the sides of the wood board should be painted yellow, and ________.

A. the other is white     B. another white    C. the other white    D. another is white

高二英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析

British English may have come first, but around the world, the American way of spelling is now far more popular.

A recent examination of the English language shows that publications now largely use the American version swapping words like “centre” for “center” after the 1880s. To get data, researchers used Google’s Ngram Viewer to analyze the words found in all English-language publications from 1800 to 2000. Entering a word into the viewer will show how frequently it occurs within the massive corpus(语料库)of books around the world.

According to the data, this shift was further strengthened around World War I. Since then, English-language publications have preferred “gray” and “flavor” instead of “grey” and “flavour”. The American spelling has continued to grow over the years, with “liter” passing “liter” around 1900, and “center” becoming the more common choice over “centre” in 1913. “1913 marked a turning point in British spelling, as the American alternative became more frequently used in literature,” the post explains, in regard to “center”. This was just a year before the beginning of World War I, which many views as a key period in America’s rise to superpower status.

Though this switched again between 1920s and the late 1930s, the American, spelling took over for good around 1940, during which time the spelling “airplane” shifted dramatically over “aeroplane”.

Ever since the middle of the 19th century, even the British Isles have slowly rejected the old spelling. The future is gray for British English.

1.Which of the following is true?

A. American spelling takes over all the time

B. British people refuse to use American spelling

C. All the media prefer American spelling

D. The change in spelling is more obvious around World War I

2.What’s the main idea of the second paragraph?

A. The popularity of American spelling

B. The examples of the change in spelling

C. The history of English spelling

D. The reason for the change in English spelling

3.The passage is developed _______.

A. by space　　 B. by time

C. by process　　 D. by logic

4.The passage is written to _____.

A. introduce the change of English spelling

B. encourage the change in English spelling

C. compare the difference between American spelling and British spelling

D. introduce different views on English spelling

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Danielle Steel, America’s sweetheart, is one of the hardest working women in the book business. Unlike other productive authors who write one book at a time, she can work on up to five. Her research before writing takes at least three years. Once she has fully studied her subjects, ready to divide into a book, she can spend twenty hours nonstop at her desk.

Danielle Steel comes from New York and was sent to France for her education. After graduation, he worked in the public relations and advertising, industries. Later she started a job as a writer which she was best fit for. Her achievements are unbelievable: 390 million copies of books in print, nearly fifty New York Times best-selling novels, and a series of “Max and Martha” picture books for children to help them. Deal with the real-life problem of death, new babies and new schools. Her l998 book about the death of her was shot to the top of the New York Times best-selling list as soon as it came out. Twenty-eight of her books have been made into film. She is listed in the Guinness Books of World Records for one of her books being the Times best-seller for 381 weeks straight.

Not content with a big house, a loving family, and a view of the Golden Gate Bridge, Danielle Steel considers her readers to be the most important resource and has kept in touch with them by e-mail. While she is often compared to the heroines of her own invention. Her life is undoubtedly much quieter. But if she does have anything in common with them, it is her strength of will and her inimitable style. There is only one Danielle Steel.

1.Danielle Steel is different from other writers in that　　　　　 .

A. she is one of the most popular American women writers

B. she often does some research before writing a book

C. she can write several books at the same time

D. she can keep writing for quite a long time without a break

2.One of Danielle Steel’ achievements is that 　　　　　 .

A. her picture books attracted a lot of young men

B. one of her books became a best-seller in 1998

C. some TV plays were based on her books

D. she wrote the Guinness Book of World Records

3.We can learn from the passage that Danielle Steel　　　　　 .

A. lives an exciting life

B. is pleased with her achievements

C. writes about quiet women

D. values her readers a lot

4.What does the underlined word “inimitable” mean?

A. hardworking　　　 B. attractive

C. strange　　 D. unique

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析