Britons may like to complain a lot, but they ...

Britons may like to complain a lot, but they rarely do so right now, explains BBC writer Ruth Margolis. They would rather grumble (发牢骚) afterward. This is because Britons hate to put someone out and cause any embarrassment. Margolis writes, “For instance, I’m much more comfortable just leaving that piece of raw chicken on my plate instead of complaining to restaurant staff. But beware: if this kind of thing happens when you’re dining with an American, they will most likely speak up on your behalf and not understand why you find this ashamed.”

In a BBC blog post comparing cultural differences between the UK and the US, Margolis mentions a few other things that Americans like to do that are offensive to Britons.

● Not making introductions

Margolis says most Britons dislike this approach because “talking to strangers without being introduced gives them a stomachache”. Americans rarely introduce a new friend to their friends at parties. Strangers are supposed to introduce themselves.

● “Quite” good

Using “quite” to mean “very” happens a lot in the US. But if you are invited to a dinner party in Britain, don't describe the meal as “quite good” if you want to express high praise. To Britons’ ears, “quite” detracts from the “good”: the meal was OK but could have been better.

● Money Talk

Americans can talk about money subjects for hours without feeling uncomfortable. For Britons, says Margolis, “Talking about how much we make is unthinkable — even 1ess so than discussing our feelings.”

● Over-politeness

“It’s not that I want shop assistants to be actively rude. But neither do I want to expend energy responding to someone who's been paid to ask: ‘How are you today?’” says Margolis. In the US, it is not unusual to be greeted by a perfect stranger as “honey” or “sweetie”. But Margolis says Britons find put-on friendliness, especially in stores, deeply irritating.

1.Margolis’ dining experience in Paragraph 1 shows that_______.

A. Britons are particular about foods

B. Britons are not good at complaining

C. Americans usually complain directly

D. Americans complain more than Britons

2.Which of the following might Margolis agree with?

A. Britons enjoy talking about their feelings.

B. Americans introduce themselves at parties.

C. Americans dislike talking to strangers at parties.

D. Britons feel happy if treated like close friends.

3.The underlined phrase “detracts from” in the text probably means ____.

A. differs greatly from　　　　　　 B. increases the quality of

C. reduces the strength of　　　　 D. draws attention away from

4.What does the text mainly talk about?

A. How to get on well with westerners.

B. How to start conversations with Britons.

C. Ruth Margolis’ tips on public behavior.

D. Some American habits that annoy Britons.

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项中（A、B、C和D），选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A

Britons may like to complain a lot, but they rarely do so right now, explains BBC writer Ruth Margolis. They would rather grumble (发牢骚) afterward． This is because Britons hate to put someone out and cause any embarrassment. Margolis writes, “For instance, I’m much more comfortable just leaving that piece of raw chicken on my plate instead of complaining to restaurant staff. But beware: if this kind of thing happens when you’re dining with an American, they will most likely speak up on your behalf and not understand why you find this ashamed．”

In a BBC blog post comparing cultural differences between the UK and the US, Margolis mentions a few other things that Americans like to do that are offensive to Britons.

● Not making introductions

Margolis says most Britons dislike this approach because “talking to strangers without being introduced gives them a stomachache”. Americans rarely introduce a new friend to their friends at parties. Strangers are supposed to introduce themselves.

● “Quite” good

Using “quite” to mean “very” happens a lot in the US. But if you are invited to a dinner party in Britain, don't describe the meal as “quite good” if you want to express high praise. To Britons’ ears, “quite” detracts from the “good”: the meal was OK but could have been better.

● Money Talk

Americans can talk about money subjects for hours without feeling uncomfortable. For Britons, says Margolis, “Talking about how much we make is unthinkable — even 1ess so than discussing our feelings.”

● Over-politeness

“It’s not that I want shop assistants to be actively rude. But neither do I want to expend energy responding to someone who's been paid to ask: ‘How are you today?’” says Margolis. In the US, it is not unusual to be greeted by a perfect stranger as “honey” or “sweetie”. But Margolis says Britons find put-on friendliness, especially in stores, deeply irritating.

1.Margolis’ dining experience in Paragraph 1 shows that_______.

A． Britons are particular about foods

B． Britons are not good at complaining

C． Americans usually complain directly

D． Americans complain more than Britons

2.Which of the following might Margolis agree with?

A． Britons enjoy talking about their feelings.

B． Americans introduce themselves at parties.

C． Americans dislike talking to strangers at parties.

D． Britons feel happy if treated like close friends.

3.The underlined phrase “detracts from” in the text probably means ____.

A． differs greatly from

B． increases the quality of

C． reduces the strength of

D． draws attention away from

4.What does the text mainly talk about?

A． How to get on well with westerners.

B． How to start conversations with Britons.

C． Ruth Margolis’ tips on public behavior.

D． Some American habits that annoy Britons.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Facebook users may feel socially successful in the web world but they are more likely to perform poorly in exams. The majority of students who use Facebook every day are doing badly compared with those who don’t. About 83% of British 16 to 24-year-old people are using social networking site such as Facebook and MySpace, to keep in touch with friends and organize their social activities.

“Our study shows people who spend more time on Facebook spend less time studying,” said Aryn Karpinski, a researcher. “Every generation has its distractions(娱乐), but I think Facebook is a unique phenomenon.” Karpinski and a colleague questioned 219 US undergraduates and graduates about their study and general Internet use, as well as their specific use of Facebook. They found 65% of Facebook users accessed their account daily, checking it several times to see if they had received new messages. The amount of time spent on Facebook at each log-in(登录) varied from just a few minutes to more than an hour.

Some UK students have already realized the potential danger. Daisy Jones, 21, an undergraduate, realized the time she was spending on Facebook was threatening her grades, urging her to deactivate(使无效) her account, “I was in the library and tried to write a 2,000-word essay when I realized my Facebook habit had got out of hand,” she said. “I couldn’t resist going online, when thinking about it. Before you know it , a couple of minutes have turned into a couple of hours and you haven’t written a word.”

Jones is among the few to have realized the risks. 79% of the users, however, believed the time they spent on the site had no impact on their work. The CEO of Facebook said, “There is also academic research that shows the benefits of services like Facebook. It’s in the hands of students to decide how to spend their time.”

1.What can we know from Paragraph 1?

2.Facebook users check their account frequently to ____________.

3.Why did Daisy Jones deactivate her account?

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

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

—Would you like to go shopping with me?

—Well, _________, but I have a lot of work to do this weekend.

A. I like it        B. I’d like to      C. I don’t        D. I will

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Experts like to say the best form of exercise is whatever kind you’ll actually do. But that may not always be the case; new research finds that people who combine exercise with their social lives may be at an advantage over solitary(独自) exercisers. Tennis, badminton and soccer are all better for longevity(长寿) than cycling, swimming, jogging or gym exercise, according to the research.

The study was based on data from about 8,500 adults who were part of the Copenhagen City Heart Study. They completed a health and lifestyle questionnaire, which included questions about type and frequency of physical activity, and were monitored by the researchers for around 25 years, a period during which about 4,500 of the subjects died.

Tennis came out on top in the research. Compared with people sitting all day, those who reported playing tennis as their main form of exercise could expect to add 9.7 years to their life time, followed by badminton (6.2 years), soccer (4.7 years), cycling (3.7 years), swimming (3.4 years), jogging (3.2 years) and health-club activities (1.5 years).

Tennis likely took the top spot because “it’s very interactive,” says study co-author Dr. James O’Keefe, a physician at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute. “At every point you’re talking. It’s just a very natural way to emotionally bond with people, besides getting your exercise.” But he adds that the study may not have been able to fully account for the fact that wealthier, better-educated people—who tend to be healthier to begin with—may be more likely to play tennis.

Activities like running and weight lifting still extend your life and offer plenty of other health benefits. But for the best possible benefits, O’Keefe says gym-goers may want to consider combining those workouts with activities that foster social connection.

O’Keefe, whose exercise typically includes running and weight lifting, says he’s even changed his own behavior because of the study: he and his family have taken up badminton.

“You can’t play badminton without feeling like a kid again,” he says. “It’s just pure fun.”

1.Which of the following is best for living a long life?

A. Cycling.　　 B. Badminton.

C. Swimming.　　 D. Gym exercise.

2.How many people were still living at the end of the research?

A. About 8,500.　　 B. About 4,500.

C. About 4000.　　 D. About 2500.

3.What matters most to the result of the research?

A. Family life.　　 B. Social connections.

C. Frequency of exercise.　　 D. Wealth and education.

4.What does O’Keefe do after the finding?

A. He puts the theory into practice.

B. He plays badminton just for fun.

C. He feels like playing badminton with kids.

D. He takes more exercise than before.

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Why do you go to the library? For books, yes--but you like books because they tell stories. You hope to get lost in a story or be transported into someone else's life. At one type of library, you can do just that--even though there's not a single book.

At a Human Library, instead of books, you can “borrow” people. Individuals volunteer as human “books” and participants in the event can “read” the book--meaning they would have a one-on-one conversation with the volunteer and share in a dialogue about that individual’s experience. “Books” are volunteers from all walks of life who have experienced discrimination (歧视) based on race, religion, class, gender identity, age, lifestyle choices, disability and other aspects of their life.

For a certain amount of time, you can ask them questions and listen to their stories, which are as fascinating and as attractive as any you can find in a book. Many of the stories have to do with some kind of stereotype. You can speak with a refugee (难民), a soldier suffering from PTSD, a homeless person or a woman living with HIV. The Human Library encourages people to challenge their own long-held beliefs—to truly get to know, and learn from someone they might otherwise make a quick judgment about.

According to its website, the Human Library is “a place where difficult questions are expected, appreciated and answered.” It provides the opportunity for the community to share and understand the experiences of others in their community.

The Human Library Organization came to be in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2000. Ronni Abergel, his brother Dany, and some colleagues hosted a four-day event during a major Northern European festival, hoping to raise awareness about violence among youth. After the success of this event, Abergel founded the Human Library Organization, which has been growing ever since.

Though there are a few permanent human libraries, most aren’t places at all, but events. Though many do take place at physical libraries, you don’t need a library card—anyone can come and be part of the experience. There have been human library events all over the globe, in universities and in pubs, from Chicago to Tunis to Edinburgh to San Antonio.

The stories these "books" tell range from fascinating to heartbreaking and everything in between. And that's the very point of the organization—to prove that no person can be summed up in just one word. It seeks to show people that you truly can't judge a book by its cover---or by its title or label.

1.The “books” in human libraries are ________.

A. long-held beliefs attracting individuals

B. inspiring stones motivating people in trouble

C. events in which people can talk to volunteers

D. unfairly-treated people sharing their experiences

2.The event in Copenhagen is significant because it ________.

A. aimed to help the young suffering from violence

B. attempted to replace traditional physical libraries

C. laid a foundation for the Human Library Organization

D. led to a pleasing development for the community with racism

3.In human libraries, the readers are likely to ________.

A. deepen their understanding of people

B. enrich their own personal experiences

C. hear the stories from all over the world

D. make quick judgments about the “books”

4.The main purpose of the passage is to ________.

A. compare and evaluate　　 B. inform and explain

C. discuss and persuade　　 D. analyze and suggest

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

I hate to say this but you need to stop doing things like this because they __________ me all the time.

A.disturb B.have disturbed C.disturbed D.are disturbing

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

--I like to watch TV, but I don’t like to read newspaper.

--________.

A. So do I  B. Nor do I   C. So it is with me        D. As do I

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Do you have good friends? Do you sometimes feel so close to them that they are like family to you?

It turns out that this isn’t just an expression. A study by Yale University and the University of California, San Diego, has found that you and your friends have more genes in common than strangers do, the Guardian reported.

Researchers looked at the genes of 1,932 people and compared them in pairs of unrelated friends and strangers. They found that friends have 1 percent of genes that match.

“One percent may not sound like much to the layperson (外行), but to geneticists (遗传学家) it is a significant number,” Professor Nicholas Christakis of Yale University told Discovery News. In fact, this is the same amount of genes you share with your fourth cousins, those who have the same great-great-great grandparents as you.

So is it a coincidence that you become friends with people who share your genes? Not at all. In fact, it is evolution that brings you together.

People who share certain genes also share skills and have similar likes and dislikes, researchers said. In ancient times, it was critical that people who were alike stayed together. For example, people who had a similar susceptibility (易感性) to the cold were more likely to help each other build a fire, giving them a better chance to survive.

Researchers also found that among all the genes studied, those affecting sense of smell were the most similar in friends. This is probably because people who smell things in the same way are more easily drawn to similar environments. For example, people who like the smell of coffee may hang out at cafes more often and are therefore more likely to meet and become friends with each other.

Based on their findings, the team has developed an interesting test called the “friendship score”. It calculates how big the chances are that two people will be friends by studying their genes.

So, here is a question for you: would you like to take this test and know in advance who your friends are going to be, or would you still prefer to figure it out by yourself and let time be the judge?

1.What is the author’s main purpose in writing the article?

A.To explain why friends share skills and interests.

B.To report on recent findings about making friends.

C.To analyze what influences the way people make friends.

D.To explain an interesting test called the “friendship score”.

2.According to the researchers of the study, people _______.

A.form friendships by complete coincidence

B.are genetically similar to their friends, compared to strangers

C.make friends with those who share nearly 10 percent of their genes

D.may share more similar genes with their friends than with their fourth cousins

3.With the examples of ancient people developing the ability to speak and helping each other build a fire, the author intends to _______.

A.show how ancient people helped each other survive

B.explain that similar interests are what lead to friendship

C.show that it is evolution that brings friends together

D.tell us why it was easier for ancient people to find friends

4.According to the article, people with similar genes that affect their sense of smell ______.

A.like to hang out at cafes more often

B.are easily attracted to the smell of their friends

C.are more likely to be attracted to a similar environment

D.can identify people in a crowd who can become friends

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Many teachers like surfing the Internet, ________ they may find a lot of useful videos about teaching.

A. which B. where

C. when D. that

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析