A Book Review — The Snake-Stone by Berlie Doherty
The setting: Urban England (the cities), but also rural England (the countryside) including remote English villages.
The theme: The main theme is a teenage search of self-discovery, in this case the search for a mother from whom the hero was separated at an early age. Its other concerns are love, getting on with others, being persistent and courageous and trying to deal with doubts, troubles and worries. As the book moves to a close, James' swimming coach says to him: "You are not like a kid obeying instructions any more. You are diving like a young man who knows where he is going."
The characters: James is the hero of the story. He is a championship diver, and has a comfortable life with his foster parents (养父母). Yet he also has the qualities to take him on a long journey to find his birth mother. The other characters in The Snake-Stone, James' parents, his diving instructor, best friend, the villagers, people he meets on his journey, are pictured realistically.
The turning point: The turning point in the story comes while James' foster parents are away in London, and he wonders about the identity of his birth mother. The only clue he has is a fossil, "the snake stone" which she left behind along with a note on which she had written: "Take good care of Sammie. It was written on a torn envelope with parts of an address still there.
The journey: Instead of going to London, James decides to find his birth mother. With help from his geography teacher, James sets out for the remote country village where his mother might be found. James has painful, challenging, but also humorous and happy travels. The mother he finally meets, Anne, has a minor yet powerful voice in the novel. He comes to understand why she left him at a stranger's door fifteen years before. Although the meeting is not long, it leaves him with a feeling of completeness. As a journey of self-discovery The Snake-Stone also provides its readers with a happy ending. Its hero says, on returning to his foster parents, "I was home."
1.What is the main theme of the novel?
A.Life with foster parents. B.Life in the world of diving.
C.A journey of self-discovery. D.A travel around the country.
2.What do the coach's words in Para. 2 suggest?
A.James is a successful diver. B.James is a hopeful swimmer.
C.James is an outgoing young man. D.James is an independent young man.
3.The snake stone in the novel is ____________.
A.a stone with an address on it B.a clue left by the birth mother
C.a gift from the swimming coach D.a fossil left by the foster parents
4.Which of the following is true about the novel?
A.The story has a sad ending.
B.The story takes place in the city of London.
C.The characters are vividly described.
D.The turning point comes after the hero meets his birth mother.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
A Book Review — The Snake-Stone by Berlie Doherty
The setting: Urban England (the cities), but also rural England (the countryside) including remote English villages.
The theme: The main theme is a teenage search of self-discovery, in this case the search for a mother from whom the hero was separated at an early age. Its other concerns are love, getting on with others, being persistent and courageous and trying to deal with doubts, troubles and worries. As the book moves to a close, James' swimming coach says to him: "You are not like a kid obeying instructions any more. You are diving like a young man who knows where he is going."
The characters: James is the hero of the story. He is a championship diver, and has a comfortable life with his foster parents (养父母). Yet he also has the qualities to take him on a long journey to find his birth mother. The other characters in The Snake-Stone, James' parents, his diving instructor, best friend, the villagers, people he meets on his journey, are pictured realistically.
The turning point: The turning point in the story comes while James' foster parents are away in London, and he wonders about the identity of his birth mother. The only clue he has is a fossil, "the snake stone" which she left behind along with a note on which she had written: "Take good care of Sammie. It was written on a torn envelope with parts of an address still there.
The journey: Instead of going to London, James decides to find his birth mother. With help from his geography teacher, James sets out for the remote country village where his mother might be found. James has painful, challenging, but also humorous and happy travels. The mother he finally meets, Anne, has a minor yet powerful voice in the novel. He comes to understand why she left him at a stranger's door fifteen years before. Although the meeting is not long, it leaves him with a feeling of completeness. As a journey of self-discovery The Snake-Stone also provides its readers with a happy ending. Its hero says, on returning to his foster parents, "I was home."
1.What is the main theme of the novel?
A.Life with foster parents. B.Life in the world of diving.
C.A journey of self-discovery. D.A travel around the country.
2.What do the coach's words in Para. 2 suggest?
A.James is a successful diver. B.James is a hopeful swimmer.
C.James is an outgoing young man. D.James is an independent young man.
3.The snake stone in the novel is ____________.
A.a stone with an address on it B.a clue left by the birth mother
C.a gift from the swimming coach D.a fossil left by the foster parents
4.Which of the following is true about the novel?
A.The story has a sad ending.
B.The story takes place in the city of London.
C.The characters are vividly described.
D.The turning point comes after the hero meets his birth mother.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
---How did you find the book?
---.Great, and also the book review says Shakespeare ________ all his characters in the play vivid and alive.
A. made B. makes C. had made D. has made
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
The necktie looks set to follow the top hat in being handed over to the fashion museum by office workers within the next 50 years, according to research.
Nearly three quarters (74%) think the tie will not survive within British firms beyond the next half a century with the popularity of the open-collared shirt. Its demise is being blamed on the boom in creative businesses, such as Facebook and Google, and online trading companies where formal dress codes tend to be avoided in favour of a more casual approach.
Once considered an important part of business dress, the tie has become a victim of the spread of "casual Fridays" into other weekdays, according to researchers.
The poll, by Deal Jungle. com, which helps small and medium enterprises, found more than half (51% ) thought the tie would die out in offices within the next 20 years and almost a quarter (22%) believed it would last less than 10 years.
A spokesman for the site, which has 20, 000 registered members, said: "Ties have been around seemingly forever but increasing numbers of office workers are telling them to get away."
"The success of businesses such as Facebook and Google, where even the CEO turns up wearing jeans and a hoodie, also seems to have had a corrosive (ʴ) effect on the idea of dressing formally for work."
"Many of our members keep their expenses to a minimum by working from home so they feel no need to dress up to go to work. We know that when they meet with clients, they still put on a business suit, but a tie is no longer seen as an essential part of the suited-and-booted look."
"Instead, many businessmen and increasing numbers of executives choose a suit and shirt with an open collar. The tie-less suit creates an impression of a more approachable deal maker, someone who is still business-minded, yet creative and technology-sensible, too. "
1.Why are ties expected to disappear in offices?
A. CEOs in creative businesses set a rule to forbid wearing ties.
B. The idea of casual weekdays is increasingly accepted.
C. Office workers are tired of wearing ties daily.
D. The tie-less look appears more modern.
2.According to the spokesman, how are their members dressed before clients?
A. Business suits and casual jeans.
B. Formal suits and a shirt with a tie.
C. Casual suits and buttoned-up shirt.
D. Business suits and an open-collared shirt.
3.What kind of image does the tie-less suit create?
A. Accessible in business. B. Professional in fashion.
C. Casual in working. D. Creative in dressing.
4.What does the underlined word "demise" mean in Para.2?
A. popularity B. survival C. disappearance D. development
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
by a greater demand for green products, the food company has set higher standards to ensure the quality.
A.Driven B.Being driven C.To drive D.Having driven
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
We were all very much attracted by the beautiful scenery ______ we set foot in the village.
A. quickly B. suddenly C. finally D. immediately
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
An effective leader needs to lead and set an example. By having the right approach and spirit towards work, you can motivate(激发) others to be 1.(equal) enthusiastic about work. When the schedule is tough, be 2. little firm about things.
When your team already 3.(do) excellently, you can loosen up slightly and create a happy atmosphere to make everyone feel 4.ease. This would only help you to have better working conditions. When you have a happy set of people 5.(work) for the organization, you will achieve all the targets and get productive results.
Also, be honest! Do what you say and say what you do. If you feel that you are unable 6.(deliver) something to the client(客户) within a specific date, then say it truthfully. Do not promise promotions(提拔)7.raises to your employees if you are unable to give it to them. This will only increase frustration levels within a team.8.(honest) is a very helpful tool to keep a team together so you should make the full use of it. Lastly, always set goals for 9.(you) and your team. With the right perspective (视角) towards things, you can set short-term goals10.would help you to assess situations and implement the required changes in the organization.
高二英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
______ the prices of color TV sets down by 50%, the company had a very hard time.
A.As | B.With | C.Because of | D.For |
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
Director James Cameron went to new depths for his film-making on Sunday by setting the world record for the deepest ocean dive by a single person.
This type of extreme research is nothing new to the director. Cameron, 57, is most famous for directing Titanic (1997) and Avantar (2009). During the several years of research for Titanic, he famously traveled to the bottom of the ocean to visit the sunken ship. He also visited the deep sea as research for his fictional 1989 film. The Abyss, which is about a submarine that comes across an alien species. "Most people know me as a film-maker, "Cameron said. "But the idea of exploring the ocean has always been the stronger drive in my life.
Cameron and his team had been preparing for the trip for seven years. On Sunday, Cameron took more than two and a half hours to make the dangerous 6.8-mile journey down to the Trench, an area with near-freezing temperatures, no sunlight, and heavy water pressure. Cameron traveled in a 24-foot-long mini-submarine he helped design, equipped with lights and 3D cameras for filming the adventure. It also had a mechanical arm for collecting samples of soil and deep-sea creatures. Humans had not visited the Mariana Trench since two divers first reached the deep-sea spot in 1960. The divers Don Walsh and Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard spent 20 minutes there but could hardly see anything. They took no pictures.
In his well-equipped submarine, Cameron was able to spend three hours in the Trench, exploring and filming. He plans to use his recordings in a 3D film production for movie theaters and for a National Geographic TV special. “I see this as the beginning,” Cameron said. “It's not a one-time deal. This is just the beginning of opening up this new frontier.”
1.We learn from the passage that James Cameron______
A. won't dive again in the future
B. is known as a film-maker to most people
C. is the only one who has ever been to the deep ocean
D. is famous for having reached the deepest ocean with his friends
2.Which of the following is TRUE about the film The Abyss?
A. It takes place underwater.
B. It was Cameron's first fictional film
C. Cameron spent seven years researching for it
D. Cameron dived to the bottom of the Trench for it
3.It can be inferred from the passage that________.
A. Cameron is very interested in high-tech
B. Cameron plans to use his recordings in the deep sea in all his films
C. Cameron will continue his exploration of the deep ocean
D. Cameron wants to make a lot of money from his exploration
4.What's the best title for the passage?
A. The Great Movies of James Cameron
B. James Cameron’s Autobiography
C. Hardship Under Water
D. A Director's Deep Dive
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Nick Hancock hopes to set a new record by living alone for 60 days on a small island in the Atlantic.
Tom McClean, an SAS soldier who holds the solo record for occupying(占领) Rockall for 40 days in 1985, told Hancock that being alone for two months was the greatest challenge Hancock would have to face.
“I’m fully expecting it to be tough,” Nick Hancock said. “I’m hoping that by doing my daily tasks fairly slowly, I’m going to be able to keep most of my time busy. I think the worst times will come if I’m boxed up for several days by bad weather.”
Hancock hopes to land on Rockall in early June and will carry out the last tests of his boat next week. He has a small wind turbine(风电机) and a solar panel for power, more than two months’ food, a satellite phone and a laptop loaded with e-books to keep him going. Hancock will update an adventure blog, texting messages out on Twitter and emailing his wife Pam and friends every day.
Rockall has been occupied before, most famously by McClean but also by three Greenpeace campaigners, who set the long-stay record of 42 days in 1997 by occupying the rock in protest at oil and gas exploration in the area.
The last human inhabitants Hancock knows of are a small group of Belgian amateur radio enthusiasts, who are interested in broadcasting from distant islands; they were on Rockall overnight in late 2010.
Hancock has no large support team behind him. Except for the coastguard(海岸警卫队), his only lifeline will be the Orca III, the passenger boat which will take him to Rockall.
1.Nick Hancock’s main goal is to ______.
A. protest at oil and gas exploration in the Atlantic
B. show his ability to adapt himself to bad conditions
C. prove broadcasting from distant islands can be possible
D. challenge the previous record of living alone on Rockall
2.According to Tom McClean, the biggest challenge Hancock would meet was_____.
A. loneliness B. bad weather
C. lack of food D. communication
3.To keep his time busy on Rockall, Hancock will_____.
A. do his daily tasks slowly
B. write a book
C. think of his wife
D. surf online
4.How will Hancock get to Rockall?
A. On the coastguard’s boat
B. On a passenger boat
C. On his own plane
D. On a passenger plane
5.We can learn from the passage that_______.
A. Tom McClean was the first person to set foot on Rockall
B. Hancock will rely on his large support team
C. Rockall is not suitable for humans to settle on
D. Hancock was already a famous online writer before making the plan
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
________ by the advances in technology, many farmers have set up farms on their land.
A.Being encouraged | B.Encouraging |
C.having encouraged | D.Encouraged |
高二英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析