Paul, the oracle octopus (神算章鱼), was given a replica (复制品) of the World Cup as a reward for his perfect eight-for-eight record in predicting the results of matches.
The two-year-old octopus with possible supernatural powers turned into a worldwide celebrity for accurately predicting the German team’s five World Cup wins as well as their two defeats. Paul also tipped Spain to beat Netherlands in the final.
“We have had a lot of offers for Paul but he will definitely be staying with us and returning to his usual job-making children smile,” Sea Life spokeswoman Tanja Munzig in Oberhausen said after presenting Pual with the World Cup replica.
There’s no rational(合理的)reasons why Paul always got it right. Bettors around the world made small fortunes based on Paul’s guess, said Graham Sharpe, media relations director at William Hill in London. “I’ve seen a lot of things in my lifetime but this is the first time I’ve ever seen people making their picks based on what an octopus tells them. We had people coming in saying they didn’t know how to place a bet but heard about this German octopus and wanted to bet with him. It’s funny. But he kept getting it right.” said Sharpe.
Sharpe said that anyone who had placed a 10-pound accumulator bet(累计下注)on Paul’s prediction from the start of the World Cup would have won 3,000 pounds($4,500)by the end of the tournament.
Paul’s home at Sea Life aquarium(水族馆)in Oberhausen has been crowded with visitors and media from across Europe. Many networks broadcast his predicting live. Many networks broadcast his picks live. Hundreds were on hand to watch the World Cup replica lowered into his tank on Monday, 12 July, 2010.
1. Paul was rewarded a replica of the Word Cup because he________.
A. will celebrate his birthday soon
B. predicted the results of matches accurately
C. helped beat Netherlands in the final
D. helped many fans earn much money
2. If a fan had placed a 200-pound accumulator bet on Paul’s prediction, he would have won
________during the tournament.
A. $30,000 B. $45,000 C. $60,000 D. $90,000
3. The underlined word “tipped” in the 2nd paragraph probably means________.
A. ordered B. announced C. predicted D. helped
4. From what Sharpe said we can learn that________.
A. it’s amazing for Paul to make more exact prediction than people
B. octopus like Paul may all have the ability to predict exactly
C. it’s common for people to believe in sea life for prediction
D. we’d better not bet with animals when we have trouble making our picks
5. We can learn from this passage that________.
A. Paul used to be children’s favorite sea life
B. it’s useless to bet with the oracle octopus
C. Paul was born with the ability to predict World Cup results
D. Germany will never be beaten if Paul stays with them
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Paul, the oracle octopus (神算章鱼), was given a replica (复制品) of the World Cup as a reward for his perfect eight-for-eight record in predicting the results of matches.
The two-year-old octopus with possible supernatural powers turned into a worldwide celebrity for accurately predicting the German team’s five World Cup wins as well as their two defeats. Paul also tipped Spain to beat Netherlands in the final.
“We have had a lot of offers for Paul but he will definitely be staying with us and returning to his usual job-making children smile,” Sea Life spokeswoman Tanja Munzig in Oberhausen said after presenting Pual with the World Cup replica.
There’s no rational(合理的)reasons why Paul always got it right. Bettors around the world made small fortunes based on Paul’s guess, said Graham Sharpe, media relations director at William Hill in London. “I’ve seen a lot of things in my lifetime but this is the first time I’ve ever seen people making their picks based on what an octopus tells them. We had people coming in saying they didn’t know how to place a bet but heard about this German octopus and wanted to bet with him. It’s funny. But he kept getting it right.” said Sharpe.
Sharpe said that anyone who had placed a 10-pound accumulator bet(累计下注)on Paul’s prediction from the start of the World Cup would have won 3,000 pounds($4,500)by the end of the tournament.
Paul’s home at Sea Life aquarium(水族馆)in Oberhausen has been crowded with visitors and media from across Europe. Many networks broadcast his predicting live. Many networks broadcast his picks live. Hundreds were on hand to watch the World Cup replica lowered into his tank on Monday, 12 July, 2010.
1. Paul was rewarded a replica of the Word Cup because he________.
A. will celebrate his birthday soon
B. predicted the results of matches accurately
C. helped beat Netherlands in the final
D. helped many fans earn much money
2. If a fan had placed a 200-pound accumulator bet on Paul’s prediction, he would have won
________during the tournament.
A. $30,000 B. $45,000 C. $60,000 D. $90,000
3. The underlined word “tipped” in the 2nd paragraph probably means________.
A. ordered B. announced C. predicted D. helped
4. From what Sharpe said we can learn that________.
A. it’s amazing for Paul to make more exact prediction than people
B. octopus like Paul may all have the ability to predict exactly
C. it’s common for people to believe in sea life for prediction
D. we’d better not bet with animals when we have trouble making our picks
5. We can learn from this passage that________.
A. Paul used to be children’s favorite sea life
B. it’s useless to bet with the oracle octopus
C. Paul was born with the ability to predict World Cup results
D. Germany will never be beaten if Paul stays with them
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A controversial call was given towards the end of the baseball game. At full speed Paul Harvey slid home(本垒) and, thinking he had just ________ a game-changing run, he stood up only to face the words, “You’re ________!”Angry, he threw off his helmet and ran over to explain to the ________ why the call was wrong. Before his ________ really got out of control, someone pulled him away, and he walked to the bench—________.
Long after the coaches, players, and fans had gone home, he realized the impact of his ________. Like most of us do when we are faced with the ________ of our actions, he could have just let it go, reasoning, “Everybody ________ it.”
However, in the silence of his heart, he knew that just ________ everyone else does it, that doesn’t make it all right. And so, long after his friends had gone home, he ________ that coach back up to the school—not to ________ his car. No, the boy tracked this man down so he could tell him face to face, “I’m sorry, Sir. It was all my ________.” It takes true courage to stand up to face the ________ we all make and say, “I was wrong. I’m sorry.” What makes this ________ unique is that it wasn’t meant for the world to ________, it was meant simply as a way to stay ________ to his own heart.
The truth is at one time or another we have all been this boy — ________ out in anger, saying hurtful things, and feeling ________ for doing so. But the real test comes later when we are ________ with the choice to say “sorry” or to walk away thinking, “Ah, they’ll get over it.”
Maybe the “they” is a customer, a friend, or a child. Whoever it is, don’t pass up the opportunity to get right with your own heart. The time for apology is now! Courage is a ________ of the heart.
1.A. broken B. scored C. hit D. completed
2.A. down B. in C. off D. out
3.A. judge B. fan C. coach D. player
4.A. temper B. strength C. mood D. spirit
5.A. peaceful B. pale C. hopeful D. disappointed
6.A. explanation B. argument C. performance D. behavior
7.A. satisfaction B. guilt C. embarrassment D. pride
8.A. does B. hates C. likes D. receives
9.A. until B. because C. when D. if
10.A. accompanied B. sent C. brought D. tracked
11.A. repair B. clean C. destroy D. drive
12.A. fault B. rudeness C. mistake D. carelessness
13.A. promise B. impoliteness C. effort D. attempt
14.A. situation B. excuse C. announcement D. apology
15.A. praise B. remember C. hear D. see
16.A. true B. still C. calm D. sensitive
17.A. setting B. acting C. looking D. holding
18.A. regretful B. brave C. nervous D. right
19.A. offered B. awarded C. presented D. charged
20.A. matter B. description C. bottom D. expression
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
The octopus’s(章鱼)reputation as a human-killer isn’t simply an exaggeration(夸张)—it is a total myth. The octopus can indeed be a deadly hunter, but only of its natural victims. Some shellfish(壳类动物)and an occasional sick or incautious fish have reason to be frightened of this multi-armed hunter, but a person is much too large to interest even the biggest octopus. Even the largest among octopi is much smaller than most people imagine. Far from being large enough to swallow a ship, as monster octopi in movies have been known to do, the largest octopus, found on the Pacific coast, weighs around 110 pounds and grows to no more than ten feet in width.
The hard, parrot-like beak(喙)of an octopus is not used for attacking deep-sea divers, but for cutting open shellfish. Indeed, the octopus possesses such a tiny throat that it cannot swallow large pieces of meat. Instead, it feeds by pouring digestive juices into its victims, and then sucking up the soupy remains. A shellfish that finds itself in the grasp of an octopus has only a short time to live. But human beings are perfectly safe. Still, people rarely care to go close enough to these careful creatures to get a good look at them.
1.This passage is mainly about________.
A.the horrors of the octopus
B.the largest octopus in the world
C.octopi and their behavior
D.the octopus’s deadly hunting method
2.It is implied but not stated in the passage that________.
A.people have unreasonable fears about the octopus
B.the octopus is not interested in human beings
C.the octopus is afraid of human beings
D.the octopus is a very cruel sea animal
3.What does the underlined part “careful creatures” refer to in the last paragraph?
A.Octopi. B.Shellfish. C.Fish. D.The victims.
4.The hard beak of the octopus is used for________.
A.attacking deep-sea divers B.cutting up large pieces of meat
C.cutting open its victims D.defending itself
5.From the passage, we can conclude that.
A.the octopus is not dangerous to man
B.people often fear creatures that are not dangerous to them
C.the octopus only hunts its natural victims
D.things described in movies are not to be believed
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Some scientists believe that one of the most intelligent beings on Earth is in fact the octopus (章鱼).
Octopuses usually live at the bottom of river mouths and seas-areas which are not attractive to researchers. They are not social animals so it can be hard to study their interaction with others. And the octopus’ intelligence is not easy for humans to understand. When we observe some animals such as rats or dogs, we can often understand their behavior. Octopuses,however can seem like aliens (外星人). Scientists need to have a lot of imagination to understand what an octopus is thinking!
In the 1950s, the US Air Force sponsored scientists to study the way octopuses use their brains. They hoped that they could use this knowledge to help them build better computers. However, their brains were so complex that the scientists felt it of no significance to continue with it. Octopuses have a very complex nervous system and recent research suggests that they have some of their intelligence inside each arm, which means that each arm can “think” for itself. It also appears that they have a good memory, perhaps similar to a cat’s.
Perhaps the most striking thing about octopuses is their ability to change their color and body pattern. They do this to camouflage themselves to avoid their enemies and also to communicate with others. They can completely change their appearance in less than a second. It can change its skin to look like rocks, sand or planktron (浮游生物).
Some scientists have even suggested that these different patterns and colors are in fact a very hard language-and that each design is a different verb,adjective or noun. But nobody has been able to work out what they might be saying. There’s a long way to go to get to know the octopus completely.
1.What can we infer about the octopus’ intelligence from Paragraph 2?
A.It does not attract scientists. B.Little has been known about it.
C.It is equal to the cat’s or dog’s. D.Much has been done about it.
2.What can we say about scientists’ study on the octopus in the 1950s?
A.They had to give it up eventually. B.They used computers to help.
C.They found its arms could think. D.They judged it lived like a cat.
3.What does the underlined word “camouflage” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A.Relax. B.Strengthen. C.Hide. D.Express.
4.What does the author think of the octopuses?
A.They are the smartest animals. B.They’re easy to be seen in the sea.
C.It is useful to copy their language. D.It is difficult to understand them.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
You can see a sea turtle named Herman, an octopus (章鱼) called Octavia, and a seal named Lidia at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Rather than real animals, they are actually artworks made out of plastic trash from the ocean.
These artworks are part of a traveling exhibit called “Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea”. The Washed Ashore project, led by the artist called Pozzi, works to raise awareness about plastic pollution in Earth’s oceans.
More than 315 billion pounds of plastic litter the world’s oceans today. Most of the plastic is garbage from towns and cities, as well as trash that people leave on beaches. Rainwater, winds, and high tides bring the trash into the ocean or into rivers that lead to the ocean. Once it is under the waves, the plastic begins to break up into smaller and smaller pieces.
Thousands of sea animals die each year from eating plastic bags and other things. Each year, millions more pounds of plastic end up in the ocean. A recent study found that if that continues, by 2050 the total weight of plastic will be more than that of all the fish in the ocean.
The Washed Ashore project is working to stop that from happening. Since 2010, Washed Ashore volunteers have collected 38,000 pounds of plastic trash from more than 300 miles of beaches. They helped Pozzi create more than 60 artworks of sea creatures harmed by plastic pollution.
“These artworks are a powerful reminder of our personal role and global responsibility in preserving biodiversity (生物多样性) on land and in the sea,” says Dennis Kelly, director of the National Zoo.
1.What is the purpose of the artworks shown at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo?
A. To let people know about animals in the ocean.
B. To introduce one way of recycling plastic trash.
C. To warn people of plastic pollution in the ocean.
D. To show Pozzi’s great gift for creating artworks.
2.According to the passage, what is the source of plastic pollution in the ocean?
A. Garbage from towns and cities. B. Trash left on beaches by people.
C. Plastic bags broken up by waves. D. Litter created by human activities.
3.The data in Paragraph 5 is given to prove that ______.
A. plastic pollution will be more serious in the ocean.
B. more and more artworks of sea creatures will be made.
C. the Washed Ashore project has made great achievements.
D. volunteers can solve the ocean pollution successfully by 2050.
4.What’s Dennis Kelly’s attitude towards the artworks?
A. worried. B. supportive.
C. doubtful. D. unconcerned.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
You can see a sea turtle named Herman, an octopus ( 章鱼) called Octavia, and a seal named Lidia at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Rather than real animals, they are actually artworks made out of plastic trash from the ocean.
These artworks are part of a traveling exhibit called “Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea”. The Washed Ashore project, led by the artist called Pozzi, works to raise awareness about plastic pollution in Earth’s oceans.
More than 315 billion pounds of plastic litter the world’s oceans today. Most of the plastic is garbage from towns and cities, as well as trash that people leave on beaches. Rainwater, winds, and high tides bring the trash into the ocean or into rivers that lead to the ocean. Once it is under the waves, the plastic begins to break up into smaller and smaller pieces.
Thousands of sea animals die each year from eating plastic bags and other things. Each year, millions more pounds of plastic end up in the ocean. A recent study found that if that continues, by 2050 the total weight of plastic will be more than that of all the fish in the ocean.
The Washed Ashore project is working to stop that from happening. Since 2010, Washed Ashore volunteers have collected 38,000 pounds of plastic trash from more than 300 miles of beaches. They helped Pozzi create more than 60 artworks of sea creatures harmed by plastic pollution.
“These artworks are a powerful reminder of our personal role and global responsibility in preserving biodiversity (生物多样性) on land and in the sea,” says Dennis Kelly, director of the National Zoo.
1.What is the purpose of the artworks shown at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo?
A. To let people know about animals in the ocean.
B. To introduce one way of recycling plastic trash.
C. To warn people of plastic pollution in the ocean.
D. To show Pozzi’s great gift for creating artworks.
2.According to the passage, what is the source of plastic pollution in the ocean?
A. Garbage from towns and cities. B. Trash left on beaches by people.
C. Plastic bags broken up by waves. D. Litter created by human activities.
3.The data in Paragraph 5 is given to prove that .
A. plastic pollution will be more serious in the ocean
B. more and more artworks of sea creatures will be made
C. the Washed Ashore project has made great achievements
D. volunteers can solve the ocean pollution successfully by 2050
4.What’s Dennis Kelly’s attitude towards the artworks?
A. Worried. B. Supportive.
C. Doubtful. D. Unconcerned.
5.What would be the best title for the text?
A. Turning Trash into Art B. Working for Washed Ashore
C. Collecting Plastic Trash D. Stopping Environmental Pollution
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
— Is Paul playing both soccer and tennis for the school?
— He ______. But now he has given up playing tennis.
A. is B. has C. was D. had
高三英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析
Paul was dealing with a crisis. The new girl Linda in class really liked him a lot. Paul was not happy about it.
Paul's good friend, Sam, tried to comfort him. "What's the big deal? I think Linda is kind of cute and nice enough."
Paul glared at Sam. "Then why don't you ask her to be your girlfriend? There she is, sitting all by herself at the other end of the cafeteria. Go there and ask her to be your honey!"
"She's crazy about you, not me," Sam replied.
"Well, I don't want any girlfriend, especially not a girl like her! "Paul growled.
Sam wouldn't give up. "The only thing pesky about her is that she keeps writing you those notes ."
"I don't like notes at all!" Paul interrupted. He took another sip of milk.
"Did you notice those strange brown eyes? Why aren't they normal red or pink?"
Sam took another look at Linda. "I think her face is a lovely shade of green. And her dark green curly hair is quite pretty. Besides, she's very gentle and that's what really matters."
Paul stuck out his tongue. "I think I'm going to be sick! I'd better save my dessert for later." He crammed a small bag of Maggot Munchies into his even smaller shirt pocket. "The fact is, I have a problem. That girl is getting on my nerves! "
Sam followed Paul’s example and decided to save his dessert for later. However, he carefully placed the bag into his lunch box. "Do you have any ideas about how to solve your problem?" Tremor asked.
"I'm going to be mean and rude to her," Paul announced. "I'll call her names and make ugly faces at her."
"That's how you treat everyone," Sam reminded his friend.
Paul nodded. "It's time that Linda got to know the real Paul !"
1. What does the underlined part "a crisis" in Paragraph 1 refer to?
A. how to get away from Linda B. how to win Linda over
C. how to get Sam's help D. how to save money
2.How did Linda feel about Paul ?
A. She didn't like him because he was rude. B. She was annoyed by his strange appearance.
C. She didn't have any strong feelings about him. D. She fell in love with him.
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Paul pretended to be rude in order to make Linda stop liking him.
B. Sam thought that looks were more important than personality.
C. Sam thought that Linda was cute.
D. Paul offered his dessert to Linda to make her sick.
4. Sam appreciate Linda in the following aspects EXCEPT ________
A. her eyes B. her hair C. her face D. her character
5.What is implied from this passage?
A. Linda will be Sam's girlfriend. B. Paul has fallen in love with another girl.
C. Paul and Linda are classmates. D. Paul and Linda are colleges students.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Late in 1990, when Paul Kagame was hiding on the Congolese side of the Virunga mountains preparing to invade Rwanda, his army were not the only inhabitants of that thickly forested volcanic range. The Virungas are also home to mountain gorillas (大猩猩). Soldiers are notoriously excited when it comes to wildlife, but Mr. Kagame ordered his men not to shoot the apes. “They will be valuable one day,” he said. He was right.
By 2017, with Mr. Kagame now installed as Rwanda’s president, that country’s wildlife-tourism industry, of which gorilla-watching on the Rwandan side of the Virungas accounts for 90%, was worth around $438 million a year. But now the world’s gorillas, and also their great-ape cousins, the chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans, face another threat from their human neighbours: covid-19.
Great apes share about 98% of their DNA with human beings, and are vulnerable to many of the same diseases. So far, there have been no reported cases of wild apes sickening with the new coronavirus (冠状病毒). But research done by Amanda Melin of the University of Calgary, in Canada, and her colleagues, suggests that many primates are at risk.
The virus infects people by locking onto ACE2, a protein found on the surface membranes (细胞膜) of certain cells - particularly those of the airways into the lungs. The ape version of ACE2 is, Dr Melin has discovered, identical to the human variety, so apes are likely to be particularly susceptible to SARS-COV-2.
Covid-19 is novel, but primatologists (灵长类动物学家) like Dr Wrangham, who is familiar with the harm caused by diseases of human origin, are already worried. They estimate that Ebola virus alone is responsible for the deaths of a third of the world’s wild gorillas over the past three decades. Jane Goodall, a primatologist doing research on chimpanzees in Tanzania is also worried. The country has not enforced a full anti-covid lockdown, so villagers who live around the park could spread the disease to the chimps. Worse still, mountain-gorilla groups are normally harems that have several females but only a single adult male. If this silver-back were to die of covid-19, the females - likely to have been infected as well - would probably disperse to join other groups, spreading the virus further.
Mr. de Merode says that if a gorilla tested positive for covid-19, his park “would consider a veterinary (兽医的) intervention to isolate (隔离) and treat the individual, but we would then be in unknown territory”. Most primatologists think isolating a sick ape would be impractical. Rather, laments Dr Wrangham, “we would just have to sit back and watch.”
1.From Melin’s research, we can learn that ______.
A.wild apes have sickened with covid-19
B.many primates are at the risk of dying off
C.ACE2 is merely founded in the lungs
D.apes are likely to be infected by covid-19
2.Which of the following best shows the structure of the passage?
(① to ⑥ represent paragraphs 1 – 6)
A. B. C. D.
3.From the last paragraph, we can infer that the attitude of the experts concerned towards isolation is ______.
A.uncertain and passive B.disapproving and pessimistic
C.optimistic and active D.enthusiastic and confident
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
As you probably know, J.Paul Getty was one of the richest and moat successful American industrialists in history.Quite ambitious from an early age, Getty made his first million at age 23 in 1916.He later went on to found the Getty oil company, In 1957, Fortune magazine named him the richest living American and in 1966, the Guinness Book of Records named him as the world's richest private citizen.
Although he is highly regarded by vast numbers of people for his financial success, as a younger man, his drive to acquire power and money had a detrimental impact on other aspects of his life, particularly in his relationships with women.He was, at one point quoted assaying "A lasting relationship with a woman is only possible if you are a business failure.” He married five times, having children with four of these wives.He couldn’t seem to keep a marriage going for very long.His obsession with having a fortune and power alienated (疏远) each of his wives, eventually driving them away. His marriage with his first wife Jeanette lasted for only three years, with Allene for two years, Adolphine, four years, Ann, four years, and finally Louise, nineteen years.
Perhaps as a young man, Getty was willing to pay whatever price for financial success.Yet Paul came to feel some regret in regard to his life priorities as he approached his later years when he Wrote: "I hate and regret the failure of my marriages.I would gladly give all of my millions for just one lasting marriage success."
At the end of Getty's life, all of the wealth that he had got meant very little to him.It was only then that he became wise enough to understand what really mattered most.Despite all of his accomplishments, he died with great regret.
It' s a sad story and a cautionary tale for those of us who may have chosen to make career building our highest priority(优先权), thereby ignoring our relationships.Like any other living organism, relationships require care and attention in order to grow.Even the strongest relationships will he damaged, if there is not enough care.
1.What is Paragraph l mainly about?
A.People' s admiration for J.Paul Getty. |
B.How J.Paul Getty led his life. |
C.J. Paul Getty's achievements. |
D.How J.Paul Getty became rich. |
2.The underlined word "detrimental" in Paragraph 2 is the closest in meaning to "_________".
A.harmful | B.interesting | C.positive | D.demanding |
3.J.Paul Getty's marriage that lasted for the longest time was with _________.
A.Ann | B.Adolphine | C.Allene | D.Louise |
4.At the end of his life, what J.Paul Getty cares about most is the success in ________.
A.business | B.politics | C.marriage | D.education |
5.What is the author's conclusion from the passage?
A.Young people should focus an career - building. |
B.The strongest relationships between people won't be damaged. |
C.We should attend to the needs in relationships. |
D.Successful people don't care about relationships with others. |
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析