One summer I was driving from my hometown of Tahoe City, California, to New Orleans. In the middle of the desert, I came upon a young man standing by the roadside. He had his thumb out and held a gas can in his other hand. I drove right by him. There was a time in the country when you’d be considered a stupid person if you passed by somebody in need. Now you are a fool for helping. With gangs, drug addicts, murderers, thieves everywhere, “I don’t want to get involved” has become a national motto.
Several states later I was still thinking about the hitch-hiker(免费搭车的人). Leaving him standing in the desert did not bother me so much. What bothered me was how easily I had reached the decision. I never even lifted my foot off the accelerator(加速器).
Does anyone stop any more? I wondered. I recalled Blanche DuBois’s family line: “I have always depended on the kindness of the strangers”. Could anyone rely on the kindness of the strangers these days? One way to test this would be for a person to journey from coast to coast without any money, relying only on the good will of his fellow Americans. What kind of Americans would he find? Who would feed him, shelter him, and carry him down the road?
The idea interested me.
So I decided to travel from the Pacific to the Atlantic without a penny. It would be a cashless journey through the land of the almighty dollar. I would only accept offers of rides, food and a place to rest my head. My final destination would be Cape Fear in North Carolina, a symbol of all the fears I’d have to conquer during the trip.
I rose early on September 6, 1994, and headed for the Golden Gate Bridge with a 50-pound pack on my back and a sign displaying my destination to passing vehicles: “America”.
For six weeks I hitched 82 rides and covered 4,223 miles across 14 states. As I traveled, folks were always warning me about someplace else. In Montana they told me to watch out for the cowboys in Wyoming; in Nebraska they said people would not be as nice as in Iowa. Yet I was amazed by people’s readiness to help a stranger, even when it seemed against their own best interests.
1.Why did the author drive past the young man in the desert without stopping?
A. Because he failed to notice this man.
B. Because he was driving too fast.
C. Because he was afraid of being cheated.
D. Because he thought the young man didn’t need help.
2.What was it that made the author upset?
A. Making the decision of not offering help so easily.
B. Leaving the young man alone in the desert.
C. Being considered a fool.
D. Keeping thinking about the young man.
3.What is the structure of the text?
A. ①—②③④—⑤—⑥⑦
B. ①②—③④—⑤⑥⑦
C. ①②—③④⑤⑥—⑦
D. ①②③—④—⑤⑥⑦
4.The author decided to travel without a penny in order to ___________.
A. find out how long he could survive without help
B. figure out how strangers thought of his plan
C. go through the great difficulty in surviving unexpected environment
D. find out whether strangers would offer help to him
5.The following part might probably___________.
A. describe how the author fooled the strangers
B. describe how strangers went out their way to help the author
C. explain why people refused to help strangers
D. explain how the author overcame his difficulties on the way
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
One summer I was driving from my hometown of Tahoe City, California, to New Orleans. In the middle of the desert, I came upon a young man standing by the roadside. He had his thumb out and held a gas can in his other hand. I drove right by him. There was a time in the country when you’d be considered a stupid person if you passed by somebody in need. Now you are a fool for helping. With gangs, drug addicts, murderers, thieves everywhere, “I don’t want to get involved” has become a national motto.
Several states later I was still thinking about the hitch-hiker(免费搭车的人). Leaving him standing in the desert did not bother me so much. What bothered me was how easily I had reached the decision. I never even lifted my foot off the accelerator(加速器).
Does anyone stop any more? I wondered. I recalled Blanche DuBois’s family line: “I have always depended on the kindness of the strangers”. Could anyone rely on the kindness of the strangers these days? One way to test this would be for a person to journey from coast to coast without any money, relying only on the good will of his fellow Americans. What kind of Americans would he find? Who would feed him, shelter him, and carry him down the road?
The idea interested me.
So I decided to travel from the Pacific to the Atlantic without a penny. It would be a cashless journey through the land of the almighty dollar. I would only accept offers of rides, food and a place to rest my head. My final destination would be Cape Fear in North Carolina, a symbol of all the fears I’d have to conquer during the trip.
I rose early on September 6, 1994, and headed for the Golden Gate Bridge with a 50-pound pack on my back and a sign displaying my destination to passing vehicles: “America”.
For six weeks I hitched 82 rides and covered 4,223 miles across 14 states. As I traveled, folks were always warning me about someplace else. In Montana they told me to watch out for the cowboys in Wyoming; in Nebraska they said people would not be as nice as in Iowa. Yet I was amazed by people’s readiness to help a stranger, even when it seemed against their own best interests.
1.Why did the author drive past the young man in the desert without stopping?
A. Because he failed to notice this man.
B. Because he was driving too fast.
C. Because he was afraid of being cheated.
D. Because he thought the young man didn’t need help.
2.What was it that made the author upset?
A. Making the decision of not offering help so easily.
B. Leaving the young man alone in the desert.
C. Being considered a fool.
D. Keeping thinking about the young man.
3.What is the structure of the text?
A. ①—②③④—⑤—⑥⑦
B. ①②—③④—⑤⑥⑦
C. ①②—③④⑤⑥—⑦
D. ①②③—④—⑤⑥⑦
4.The author decided to travel without a penny in order to ___________.
A. find out how long he could survive without help
B. figure out how strangers thought of his plan
C. go through the great difficulty in surviving unexpected environment
D. find out whether strangers would offer help to him
5.The following part might probably___________.
A. describe how the author fooled the strangers
B. describe how strangers went out their way to help the author
C. explain why people refused to help strangers
D. explain how the author overcame his difficulties on the way
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Last summer, my class and I were lucky to visit the German city of Nuernberg. It was a(n) __________ experience, because we had the chance to do special_________ , to live with the local people, and to see the sights in that beautiful city. The reasons we ___________ there were to work and to improve our spoken _________ . We spent two weeks there, and each of us lived in different homes and had __________ work. I’ll tell you what I did! I ________ in a well-known travel agency that___________people from all around the world and organized___________in the south of Germany, different kinds of events, visits to festivals, and ________ for tourists and businessmen.
I ________ the first week working in a(n) _______ including one Japanese, two Australians and four Americans. The most _______ thing that we experienced was traveling through __________on the Danube(多瑙河) by _____ and visiting the beautiful cities and towns along the way. Besides being a guide, I had to_________files in time, send faxes and _______other services for clients(顾客). In the second week, I worked a lot on the computer and ______ out different little tasks. The people who worked with me were very _________, and helped me explore different interests.
My experience was great, ________ not everybody enjoyed it there. In any case, I _______you arrange a similar experience for yourself. It’s the kind of experience that helps you get to know the world.
1.A. tiring B. ordinary C. painful D. great
2.A. trips B. jobs C. holidays D. courses
3.A. left B. flew C. went D. Sent
4.A. German B. Japanese C. English D. French
5.A. different B. same C. similar D. simple
6.A. taught B. studied C. lived D. worked
7.A. cared B. accepted C. invited D. received
8.A. trips B. meetings C. programs D. dinners
9.A. guides B. charges C. meals D. orders
10.A. missed B. wasted C. spent D. cost
11.A. part B. group C. formation D. agency
12.A. moving B. amazing C. interesting D. admiring
13.A. Italy B. France C. Europe D. England
14.A. ship B. bus C. taxi D. train
15.A. put up B. watch out C. apply for D. deal with
16.A. prevent B. multiply C. provide D. demand
17.A. brought B. took C. carried D. worked
18.A. kind B. strange C. familiar D. humorous
19.A. but B. and C. thus D. when
20.A. think B. suggest C. promise D. permit
高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
There was once a young man walking down the streets of Rome, from one end of the city to the other, on his way to visit a relative. While walking, he happened to a beautifully impressive church and heard sounds coming from the building. They sounded like a lot of pounding(冲击).
Deciding to satisfy his , he approached the building, opened the heavy door and looked inside the church. Well , all he could was an old man in front of a big piece of marble , the marble with a chisel(凿子) and hammer.
“Well , it must be something very ,” the young man probably thought to himself, “ he doesn’t even notice me.” He then left the church and continued with his .
Several days later, he returned on the same . It seemed that the old man was still going at it, so he decided to ask him what he was doing.
He again went to the door, opened it and looked inside. To his , there was a big statue of an angel with wings spreading out wide open, light on it through the stained glass windows, and it the front of the church.
He could not help it but the next moment he was right next to the old man, his jaw hanging wide open. He with absolute amazement and a puzzled look on his face. He just could not understand how the old man knew that there was an angel in that piece of and he could not help but him, “Sir , how did you know that there was an in that piece of marble?”
The old man and replied, “Son, there is an angel in every one of us. All we need to do is to take a hammer and a chisel and chip away at all those little piece that do not look like an angel.”
1.A. enter B. build C. pass D. visit
2.A. loud B. noisy C. pleasant D. rough
3.A. relative B. curiosity C. owner D. wife
4.A. hear B. see C. feel D. smell
5.A. wiping B. cutting C. taking D. turning
6.A. mysterious B. optimistic C. important D. strange
7.A. because B. although C. unless D. if
8.A. thought B. work C. journey D. pray
9.A. route B. square C. business D. time
10.A. usually B. secretly C. really D. absolutely
11.A. disappointment B. amazement C. relief D. joy
12.A. sitting B. kneeling C. lying D. standing
13.A. shining B. bathing C. throwing D. looking
14.A. decorate B. exposed C. shaded D. beautified
15.A. for B. at C. with D. in
16.A. shared B. wondered C. frowned D. noticed
17.A. stone B. clay C. marble D. wood
18.A. challenge B. ask C. praise D. question
19.A. admire B. inventor C. eagle D. angel
20.A. sat down B. turned around C. looked up D. came out
高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
We were on tour a few summers ago, driving through Chicago, when right outside of the city, we got pulled over. A middle-aged policeman came up to the car and was really being troublesome at first. Lecturing us, he said, “You were speeding. Where are you going in such a hurry?” Our guitarist, Tim, told him that we were on our way to Wisconsin to play a show. His way towards us totally changed. He asked, “Oh, so you boys are in a band(乐队)?” We told him that we were. He then asked all the usual band questions about the type of music we played, and how long we had been at it. Suddenly, he stopped and said, “Tim, you want to get out of this ticket, don’t you?” Tim said, “Yes.” So the officer asked him to step out of the car. The rest of us, inside the car, didn’t know what to think as we watched the policeman talk to Tim. Next thing we knew, the policeman was putting Tim in the back of the police car he had parked in front of us. With that, he threw the car into reverse(倒车),stopping a few feet in back of our car. Now we suddenly felt frightened. We didn’t know if we were all going to prison, or if the policeman was going to sell Tim on the black market or something. All of a sudden, the policeman’s voice came over his loudspeaker. He said, “Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time ever, we have Tim here singing on Route 90.” Turns out, the policeman had told Tim that the only way he was getting out of the ticket was if he sang part of one of our songs over the loudspeaker in the police car. Seconds later, Tim started screaming into the receiver. The policeman enjoyed the performance, and sent us on our way without a ticket.
1.The policeman stopped the boys to________.
A.put them into prison | B.give them a ticket |
C.enjoy their performance | D.ask some band questions |
2.The policeman became friendly to the boys when he knew they________.
A.had long been at the band | B.played the music he loved |
C.were driving for a show | D.promised him a performance |
3.The boys probably felt ________ when they drove off.
A.joyful | B.calm | C.nervous | D.frightened |
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
We were on tour a few summers ago, driving through Chicago, when right outside of the city, we got pulled over. A middle-aged policeman came up to the car and was really being troublesome at first. Lecturing us, he said, "You were speeding. Where are you going in such a hurry?" Our guitarist, Tim, told him that we were on our way to Wisconsin to play a show. His way towards us totally changed. He asked, "Oh, so you boys are in a band (乐队)?" We told him that we were. He then asked all the usual broad questions about the type of music we played, and how long we had been at it. Suddenly, he stopped and said, "Tim, you want to get out of this ticket, don't you?" Tim said, "Yes." So the officer asked him to step out of the car. The rest of us, inside the car, didn't know what to think as we watched the policeman talk to Tim. Next thing we knew, the policeman was putting Tim in the back of the police car he had parked in front of us. With that, he threw the car into reverse(倒车), stopping a few feet in back of our car. Now we suddenly felt frightened. We didn't know if we were all going to prison, or if the policeman was going to sell Tim on the black market or something. All of a sudden, the pollen's voice came over in a loudspeaker. He said, "Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time ever, we have Tim here singing on Route 90.” Turns out, the policeman had told Tim that the only way he was getting out of the ticket was if he sang part of one of our songs over the loudspeaker in the police car. Seconds later, Tim started screaming into the receiver. The policeman enjoyed the performance, and sent us on our way without a ticket.
1.The policeman stopped the boys to ______.
A. put them into prison
B. give them a ticket
C. enjoy their performance
D. ask some band questions
2.The policeman became friendly to the boys when he knew they ____
A. had long been at the band
B. played the music he loved
C. were driving for a show
D. promised into a performance
3.The boys probably felt ______ when they drove off.
A, joyful B. calm
C. nervous D. frightened
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
We were on tour a few summers ago, driving through Chicago, when right outside of the city, we got pulled over(被迫停车). A middle-aged policeman came up to the ear and was really being troublesome at first. He said, "You were speeding. Where are you going in such a hurry?" Our guitarist, Tim, told him that we were on our way to Wisconsin to play a show. Then his way towards us totally changed. He asked, "Oh, so you boys are in a band?" We told him that we were. He then asked all the usual band questions about the type of music we played, and how long we had been at it.
Suddenly, he stopped and said, "Tim, you want to get out of this ticket, don't you?" Tim said, "Yes. " So the officer asked him to step out of the car. The rest of us, inside the car, didn' t know what to think as we watched the policeman talk to Tim. Then the policeman put Tim in the back of the police car and threw the car into reverse(倒车), stopping a few feet in back of our car.
Now we suddenly felt frightened. We didn't know if we were all going to prison. Suddenly, the policeman's voice came over in a loudspeaker. He said, "Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time ever, we have Tim here singing on Route 90." Later we knew, the policeman had told Tim that if he sang one of our songs over the loudspeaker in the police car, we would get out of the ticket. Seconds later, Tim started screaming into the receiver. The policeman enjoyed the performance, and sent us on our way without a ticket.
1.Why did the policeman stop the boys?
A. Because they drove too fast.
B. Because they were late for their show.
C. Because they didn't see the policeman.
D. Because they had to answer the band questions.
2.The policeman became friendly to the boys when he knew they ______.
A. had long been at the band
B. played the music he loved
C. were driving for a show
D. promised him a performance
3.The underlined word "ticket" in paragraph 2 means "a piece of paper that ______".
A. allows you to enter a cinema
B. shows the price or size in a shop
C. shows that you have paid to travel on a bus
D. orders you to pay money because you have done something wrong
4.How did the boys probably feel when they went on their way again?
A. Happy.
B. Calm.
C. Angry.
D. Frightened.
高二英语简单题查看答案及解析
Three Yale University professors agreed in a discussion that the automobile was what one of them called “Public Health Enemy No. 1 in this century”. Besides polluting the air and overcrowding the cities, cars are involved in more than half the disastrous accidents, and they contribute to heart disease “because we won’t walk anywhere any more,” said Richard Weeinaman, professor of medicine and public health.
Speaking of many of those man-made dangers of the automobile, Arthur W. Galson, professor of biology, said it was possible to make a kerosene-burning turbine car that would “lessen smog by a very large factor”. But he expressed doubt whether Americans were willing to give up moving about the countryside at 90 miles per hour in a large vehicle. “America seems wedded to the motor car—every family has to have at least two, and one has to be a convertible (敞篷汽车) with 300 horsepower,” professor Galson continued. “Is this the way of life that we choose because we treasure these values?”
For professor Sears, part of the blame lies with “a society that regards profit as a supreme value, under the illusion that anything that’s technically possible is, therefore, morally justified”. Professor Sears also called the country’s dependence on its modern automobiles “terrible economics” because of the large horsepower used simply “moving one individual to work”. But he admitted that Americans have painted themselves into a corner by allowing the national economy to become so dependent on the automobile industry.
“The solution,” Dr Weeinerman said, “is not finding a less dangerous fuel but a different system of inner city transportation. Because of the increasing use of cars, public transportation has been allowed to wither (衰弱) and grow worse, so that if you can’t walk to where you want to go, you have to have a car in most cities,” he declared. This, in turn, Dr Weeinerman contended, is responsible for the “arteriosclerosis (动脉硬化)” of public roads, for the pollution of the inner city and for the middle-class movement to the suburbs.
1.The main idea of the passage is that_______.
A. Americans are used to traveling by cars
B. American public transportation is growing worse
C. American people’s health is threatened by automobiles
D. American car industry caused disastrous road accidents
2.It can be inferred from the passage that .
A. Americans prefer cars to anything else
B. Americans are interested in fast automobiles
C. kerosene-burning engines cause more problems
D. kerosene-burning engines are green transportation
3. In Paragraph 3, Professor Sears implies that .
A. more attention should be paid to social effects
B. technology is always good for people
C. technology is a sword with two sides
D. US doesn’t care about the environment at all
4.According to Dr Weeinerman, the best solution is .
A. to look for a fuel alternative
B. to walk to where people want to go
C. to control the production of the automobile
D. to improve public transportation
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In June 2008,Benita Grist was driving in her hometown of Mississauga as a passenger in the car ahead threw a paper cup out of the window.When Grist horned to express her displeasure, the passenger responded by throwing out a bag.
Instead of annoyed, she decided to do something about it.She organized a one woman litterawareness campaign.She started small,chatting with her neighbors about litter—and asking them to be more conscious of any tendencies they might have to litter.Soon,she noticed local families, kids and all—picking up litter around their homes.”I thought,that’s all it took—for me to open my mouth?” she says.”So I decided to knock on more doors.”
And she didn’t stop there.She approached people on the street,in malls,even in the waiting room before getting an X ray. Grist often started her appeal with something such as,”I hope you don’t think I’m crazy,but...” Yet she was buoyed by the positive response—so much so that in August 2008, she began to contact officials in various levels of government, companies and other institutions in an effort to reach a wider audience.
Through a local Mac’s Convenience Store,Grist managed to contact the company that produces content displayed on their in store monitors.That led to a public service announcement about litter that ran in almost 600 Mac’s stores in Ontario from November 2008 to June 2009. Grist continues to explore every opportunity she has to get the message out.Her grassroots campaign may be different,but she has begun to open people’s eyes about the problem of litter.And thanks to her efforts,in Mississauga,at least,they have begun to do just that.
1.How did Benita Grist start her campaign?
A.She chatted with her neighbors. B.She quarreled with a stranger.
C.She went door to door,talking. D.She talked to patients in hospital.
2.The underlined word “buoyed” in Paragraph 4 probably means “-------”.
A.inspired B.discouraged C.confused D.disturbed
3.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A.Introduction to a one woman litter awareness campaign.
B.How Benita Started the one woman litter awareness campaign.
C.Why Benita Started the one woman litter awareness campaign.
D.Benita and the one woman litter awareness campaign.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
One summer day my father sent me to buy wire for our farm. At 16,I liked ____ better than driving our truck,____ this time I was not happy. My father had told me I’d have to ask for credit(赊账) at the store.
Sixteen is a ____age,when a young man wants respect,not charity. It was 1976,and the ugly ___ of racial discrimination was ____ a fact of life. I’d seen my friends ask for credit and then stand,head down,while the store owner ___ whether they were “good for it.” I knew black youths just like me who were ___ like thieves by the store clerk each time they went into a grocery.
My family was ___.We paid our debts. But before harvest,cash was short. Would the store owner ____ us?
At Davis’s store,Buck Davis stood behind the cash desk,talking to a farmer. I nodded ____ I passed him on my way to the hardware shelves. When I brought my ____ to the cash desk,I said ____,“I need to put this on credit.”
The farmer gave me an amused,distrustful ___.But Buck’s face didn’t change. “Sure,” he said ___.“Your daddy is ___ good for it.” He ___ to the other man. “This here is one of James Williams’s sons.”
The farmer nodded in a neighborly __.I was filled with pride. James Williams’s son. Those three words had opened a door to an adult’s respect and trust.
That day I discovered that the good name my parents had ____ brought our whole family the respect of our neighbors. Everyone knew what to ___ from a Williams: a decent person who kept his word and respected himself ____ much to do wrong.
1.A. something B.nothing C.anything D.everything
2.A. and B.so C.but D.for
3.A. prideful B.wonderful C.respectful D.colorful
4.A. intention B.shadow C.habit D.faith
5.A. thus B.just C.still D.ever
6.A. guessed B.suspected C.questioned D.figured
7.A. watched B.caught C.dismissed D.accused
8.A. generous B.honest C.friendly D.modest
9.A. blame B.excuse C.charge D.trust
10.A. until B.as C.once D.since
11.A. purchases B.sales C.orders D.favorites
12.A. casually B.confidently C.cheerfully D.carefully
13.A. look B.stare C.response D.comment
14.A. patiently B.eagerly C.easily D.proudly
15.A. generally B.never C.sometimes D.always
16.A. pointed B.replied C.turned D.introduced
17.A. sense B.way C.degree D.mood
18.A. earned B.deserved C.given D.used
19.A .receive B.expect C.collect D.require
20.A. very B.so C.how D.too
高二英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Today I received a sweet letter from Brianna, one of my “cookies”. It was wonderful to hear 1.____________her. You see 2. I taught kindergarten, I called all 3.___________ sweet children “cookies”. Brianna said that every day she would walk into kindergarten and see a smile 4.__________ my face. I named them “cookies” because I always feel that children can bring great happiness and 5.__________ (excite) to my life. I still feel that all children are the 6.____________ (great) joy I could ever have.
So far I 7._____________ (adopt) and taught children for over 35 years. All my children were 8._________ are now a great joy of my life. 9.___________(hope), I feel much fortunate to be able to use my life’s talent to teach children and have fun10.__________(do) it every day. I am able to spread my wings and help my “cookies” to spread their wings.
高二英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析