The Secret Behind a Great PersonA long time a...

The Secret Behind a Great Person

A long time ago I watched a video of Josh Groban singing Vincent. It was a beautiful song and I loved it. I got interested in what the song is about.

The song is about a 19th­century Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh. 1. Unfortunately, he didn’t enjoy all the fame and wealth that his paintings should have brought him. He died when he was only 37 years old.

At that time only a few people knew his work and even fewer appreciated it. 　 2.　 For years he had mental illness. He only sold one painting in his lifetime and badly needed financial support.

Even so, he still managed to create lots of great paintings. What was it that made it possible? The answer is that he had a strong supporter, his younger brother Theo. Theo supported Vincent financially, but more importantly, he continued to believe in his brother no matter what happened. 　　　 3.　 I think it’s safe to say that Vincent was able to become a great artist because of this unfailing support from his brother.

There is an important lesson here: never underestimate (低估) the value of a supporter. Having someone who believes in you through the difficulties makes a big difference. 　 4. You might not realize it, but much of what you have achieved is most likely because of your supporters.

A. If you have such a supporter, express thanks to him.

B. Moreover, he went through many difficulties in his life.

C. His letters to Vincent were full of praise and encouragement.

D. His paintings are among the most famous and expensive in the world.

高二英语信息匹配中等难度题查看答案及解析

Not long ago, the only time you could see a robot was when you were reading a novel or watching a movie such as Star Wars. Today, 1a lot of things in science stories have been science facts. Robots are starting to _2_ in our everyday lives. These robots have different sizes, shapes and colors. But they all have the same _3_ of man-made “_4_”. Leading the robot revolution(革命) are industrial robots that work in factories. Industrial robots can do different kinds of jobs that are often _5_ and sometimes dangerous. Robots are also coming to American homes, though not as quickly asthey are entering _6_. These robots aren’t as friendly and _7_ as those you saw in Star Wars. But, their makers say, today’s home robots “walk” and sense objects in their own way. They even _8_ objects though they may sometimes drop. Well, nobody is _9_.

We may _10_ home robots today, but some day they may see and hear _11_ than humans do. We _12_

can only see certain wave lengths of light and hear certain _13_. That’s because the _14_ of our eyes and ears are _15_.

Robots, however, need not have the same limits _16_ we have. Robots may also be _17_ wit devices(装置) that  _18_ information humans can’t. However, to understand _19_ their sensing devices pick up is a hard job.

Remember, man-made brains _20_ information, including all kinds of data, as zeroes and ones.

Imagine the difficulty in trying to explain to a robot what a football looks like---using only zeroes and ones.

1.A. however        B. whenever         C. on the other hand        D. in other words

2.A. come           B. appear               C. enter                    D. raise

3.A. variety            B. dozen                C. score                    D. type

4.A. muscle         B. body             C. brain                    D. appearance

5.A. surprising     B. boring               C. pleasant             D. exciting

6.A. homes          B. factories            C. schools              D. offices

7.A. certain            B. pleasing         C. bright                   D. foolish

8.A. carry          B. forget               C. remember             D. choose

9.A. wonderful      B. excellent            C. happy                    D. perfect

10.A. play jokes on     B. make fun of          C. laugh at             D. have fun with

11.A. worse         B. faster               C. better                   D. sooner

12.A. fellows           B. humans           C. beings                   D. friends

13.A. noise         B. voice                C. sounds                   D. speeches

14.A. sight         B. length               C. distance             D. ability

15.A. enough            B. endless          C. limited              D. hopeful

16.A. as                B. since                C. for                  D. while

17.A. given         B. equipped         C. sent                 D. applied

18.A. pick out          B. pick up          C. send up              D. send out

19.A. how           B. where                C. what                 D. which

20.A. deal          B. handle               C. seek                     D. provide

高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Jonathan Cranwell sat on a hard bench behind the long narrow desk and watched the flies fly lazily in the sun. The drone of the younger boys reading letters and the older boys reciting Latin verbs made him sleepy. Jonathan had to force his eyes to stay open. He wanted to learn something new!

He looked up at the schoolmaster’s high desk in the front of the room. The new teacher was from Harvard College. Jonathan’s father had been impressed with him. The boys had already had several other teachers, but none of them seemed to inspire Jonathan. So far, there was nothing to show that this one was special, though he’d only been there two days.

“It’s too hot to sit and memorize lessons,” the schoolmaster said. “We’ll move outdoors for the next part of our lesson.” He led the group of boys into the schoolyard. “You younger boys, dig for grubs and beetles ( 幼虫和甲虫). Count their feet. See if you can describe their shells”.

Jonathan watched the teacher surrounded by laughing young students. No one had ever used the schoolyard itself for a classroom. “What next ?” he thought. Soon he didn’t have time to think about the younger boys, for he was running after butterflies and dragonflies himself.

Jonathan and his friends liked this new way of learning.

“It will be a clear night tonight. Go outside and look at the sky,” said the schoolmaster. “Look at the stars and notice their brightness and the patterns they make. These patterns have names from Greek mythology(神话), names like Orion, Aries, and others. Tomorrow we will learn about the ancient stories on them.”

“How is the new schoolmaster?” asked Jonathan’s father that evening, when Jonathan announced he was going out to look at the sky.

“He’s different from any other schoolmaster we’ve had,” Jonathan admitted. “He seems interested in everything around him, and he wants us to be curious too. He even used the schoolyard as a classroom!”

“So Mr. John Adams and his new ways make school useful to you after all,” joked Jonathan’s father.

“I believe he has,” said Jonathan. “I know I won’t forget the lessons he has taught us!”

1.What does the underlined word “drone” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A. Clear speaking voices.

B. Enthusiastic responses.

C. Continuous low dull sounds.

D. Voices of exciting reading and reciting.

2.From the last but one paragraph, we can learn that ________.

A. Mr. Cranwell was not satisfied with the new ways

B. Jonathan had previously complained about school

C. Mr. Cranwell had met the new schoolmaster

D. Jonathan had shown his father his homework.

3.What is the main idea of this story?

A. Science is all around us.

B. School provides us with the best education.

C. Homework is an important part of education.

D. There is more than one way to learn.

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Thanksgiving time came and all the relatives were gathered around the long table, or seated behind TV trays．The television was on and some folks were watching it while talking with one another．Something on television got their attention and one of the adults said, "Listen at it!" Someone else replied．"Well, if that don't beat all．"

Simple phrases were spoken by folks whose language was simple and brief．They had several idioms that were just as colorful phrases and words that brightened the room and warmed the conversation．In school we were taught to speak differently．The way our relatives spoke was discouraged．Sometimes our parents would say things we weren't taught in school．They'd often correct themselves, as if getting rid of a mistake．Of course we learned some of their phrases and used them．They were comfortable words to pronounce, familiar．

Our father's side of the family was from Arkansas and Oklahoma and they spoke with the accents native to their birth states．Their voices musical and often high , it was easy to pick up that effect in our own speech and at school my brother and I were often teased for the way we spoke．Our mother's side of the family came from Illinois and they had a tendency to talk fast．They had an accent, too, and my brother and I added that to our own speech, confusing the kids at school all the more．Our father's side of the family loved to laugh and have a good time．Our mother's side of the family was more serious about how they took life in; their joys more silently experienced and enjoyed．It was a rich picture of culture and it gave my brother and me a colorful view in life．

Thanksgiving holiday was always an easy comfortable going day．It was the first real holiday of the season when everyone came together in one place, and a good time was spent happily together by all．

1.From the text we can know that ___________．

A．parents were worried that their relatives might affect their kids’ language

B．parents tried to avoid affecting their kids with their dialects

C．parents didn’t allow their children to speak dialects

D．parents thought the language taught in school was the best

2.It can be inferred from the text that ________．

A．the language used by his father’s side of the family was fast

B．his mother’s side of the family spoke in a high voice

C．English taught in school is different from that used in daily life

D．the writer and brother were laughed at at school because of their poor English

3.Why did the writer and his brother puzzle other kids at school by their speeches?

A．They had relatives from different parts of Europe

B．There were many mistakes in their language

C．They added some dialects in their speeches

D．Their speeches were lively and colorful

4.What’s the writer’s attitude towards dialects?

A．He liked them very much．

B．They should be used everywhere．

C．They should be taught in school．

D． They were not accepted by others．

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Archimedes was a great scientist who lived in Greece long,long ago.He was so wise that even the king was his friend.

One day the king asked him,"How do you like my new crown?It's all gold."The king continued,"I gave a man gold to make this crown.But I think he may have kept some of it.”

“You are a wise man,”the king went on.“Find out if this crown is all gold.That way I will know if the man kept some of my gold.”

Archimedes thought about the crown for a long time.Then,one day he had an idea.He thought of it as he stepped into his bathtub.He saw that the water ran out over the sides.

"I've got it!"he yelled.He jumped out of his bathtub.He ran all the way to the king's home even without dress.

Archimedes asked the king for a piece of gold."It must be the same size as the one you gave the man,”he said. Then he filled a tub with water.In it he put the piece of gold.The water rose.He then took the gold out.He put the crown in the tub.The water rose even higher than before.That should not have happened!The crown and the piece of gold should have taken up the same space in the tub.Something had been added to the crown.It may have been silver. It may have been something else.But the crown was not all gold.

Archimedes’s idea was so clever that it is still used today.And he went on to learn many other things.But he sometimes got his ideas in strange places.

1.What does the underlined word "it" in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A. The crown　　 B. The bathtub.

C. Silver.　　 D. Gold.

2.What inspired Archimedes to come up with the idea?

A. The bright color of the crown.　　 B. The King’s encouraging words.

C. The water running over the bathtub.　　 D. The bathtub awarded by the king.

3.Why did Archimedes go to the king's home without dress?

A. Because he went mad.　　 B. Because he was so excited.

C. Because of the hot weather.　　 D. Because of the local customs.

4.What's the author's the attitude towards Archimedes?

A. Favorable.　　 B. Unconcerned.

C. Disapproving.　　 D. Worried.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

1.He had been ill for a long time and c___________ he fell behind in his work.

2.The agreement, i________ to encourage children not to smoke, was signed last year.

3.The teacher felt satisfied with the experiment c________ by the students.

4.The surgeon cut the diseased t_________ out from the girl’s leg.

5.The birds, f __________ by the presence of the scientists, disappeared really quickly again.

6.Seeing his painting is a kind of ________ (视觉的)enjoyment.

7.I made a ____________(急奔)for the front door but he got there before me.

8.At every ________ (时期) of life we take losses and grow in the process.

9.While the ________(技术的) worker has limited knowledge, he has a lot of experience.

10.Buying a train ticket doesn’t __________ (保证) you a seat.

高二英语单词拼写中等难度题查看答案及解析

The exact cause of the crime cannot be remembered as it happened a long time ago, but the punishment is still _______ and vivid: Dig up the fig tree（无花果）in the backyard and plant it at Mumsy’s place in the country. As I often did when sentenced to hard labor in the garden, I suspected this was my parents’ way of _______me to do their dirty work.

It was a Sunday morning. With some tools, I went at the tree, cutting it branch by branch and limb by limb, _______all that remained of the once-proud specimen（标本，样本）was a sorry-looking stump of a thing.

“What did that_________ever do to you?” my father said, “You should have left some taproot (主根)of it, at least. Go and load up the truck.” On any other day before, during the_______to Mumsy’s, we would have pleasantly_______school as usual, but I fenced myself off that time.

Then, at Mumsy’s, instead of sitting back to watch me work, he_______me. As my father and I took turns to work, I could feel my anger_______, making room for the simple satisfaction of working at my father’s side_______a common goal.

“Well,” my father said when we________, “we’ve done what we can do.” “Do you think there’s any________that it can grow up?” I asked. “It’s rich dirt. They say you can________toenails（指甲）in it and grow little kids.” My father answered. I never tried the toenail trick, but I did________as it settled in, took root, and began to prosper. I was amazed and________when bowls of figs began to fill the fridge.

In a perfectly________world, I don’t deserve the reward. I had________the tree for my own complaints. What right did I have to the fruit? Years later, I put this________to my father. Watching him slide a bowl of figs from the fridge one morning, I felt a sudden stab of shame for my boyhood________. My father took a fig from the________and let me think of the fruit as forgiveness. “You,” he said, “________some of that.”

1.A. certain　　 B. strange　　 C. common　　 D. clear

2.A. inviting　　 B. letting　　 C. getting　　 D. helping

3.A. since　　 B. when　　 C. until　　 D. after

4.A. truck　　 B. tool　　 C. tree　　 D. taproot

5.A. rest　　 B. flight　　 C. walk　　 D. ride

6.A. thought over　　 B. talked about　　 C. broke into　　 D. gave up

7.A. forgave　　 B. tricked　　 C. entertained　　 D. joined

8.A. disappeared　　 B. concentrated　　 C. approached　　 D. exploded

9.A. through　　 B. against　　 C. toward　　 D. off

10.A. argued　　 B. continued　　 C. started　　 D. finished

11.A. relationship　　 B. value　　 C. advantage　　 D. chance

12.A. dig　　 B. plant　　 C. remove　　 D. observe

13.A. understand　　 B. determine　　 C. watch　　 D. feel

14.A. confused　　 B. happy　　 C. regretful　　 D. disappointed

15.A. fair　　 B. strange　　 C. usual　　 D. easy

16.A. frogotten　　 B. cut　　 C. helped　　 D. guarded

17.A. task　　 B. answer　　 C. question　　 D. action

18.A. suffering　　 B. misfortune　　 C. sorrow　　 D. rudeness

19.A. bowl　　 B. desk　　 C. kitchen　　 D. fridge

20.A. deserve　　 B. receive　　 C. protect　　 D. suspect

高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

In a new look at the impact of long-time sitting behavior on health， a new study links time watching television to an increased risk of death.　 One of the most surprising findings is that it isn't just couch potatoes who were affected.　 Even for people who exercised regularly， the risk of death went up the longer they were in front of the TV.　 The problem was the long periods of time spent sitting still.

Australian researchers who tracked 8，800 people for an average of six years found that those who said they watched TV for more than four hours a day were 46% more likely to die of any cause and 80% more likely to die of cardiovascular（心血管的）disease than people who reported spending less than two hours a day in front of TV.

Time spent in front of TVs and computers and video games has come under fire in studies in recent years for contributing to a spread of obesity in the US and around the world.　 But typically the resulting public-health message urges children and adults to put down the Xbox controller and remote and get on a treadmill（跑步机）or a soccer field.

The Australian study offers a different view.　 "It's not the sweaty type of exercise we're losingsays David Dunstan， a researcher at Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute？ Melbourne？ who led the study.　 "It's the incidental moving around？ standing up and using muscles.　 That doesn't happen when we are planted on a couch in front of a television.

Indeed？ participants in the study reported getting between 30 and 45 minutes of exercise a day？ on average.

The results are supported by a new field of research that shows how long periods of inactivity can affect the body's processing of fats and other substances that contribute to heart risk.　 And they suggest that people can help decrease such risk simply by avoiding extended periods of sitting.

Keeping such processes working more effectively doesn't require constant intense exercise， but consciously adding more routine movement to your life might help？ doctors say.　 "Just standing is better than sitting，" says Gerard Fletcher， a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic， Jacksonville， Fla.　 ， who works standing up at his computer.　 "When you stand up， you wander around a little bit and use muscles not required when you are sitting or lying down. "

Simple strategies for increasing activity include combining household chores such as folding laundry with TV-watching time or getting up to change a TV channel rather than using a remote control.

The report， published Tuesday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation focuses on TV watching partly because it is the main leisure-time activity in many countries？ researchers said， especially in the US.

1.One misunderstanding people might have is that___.

A.couch potatoes were affected by long-time sitting.

B.watching TV is related with increased death risk.

C.watching TV very long is a good way to kill time.

D.regular exercise can minimize the side effect of watching TV

2.What is new about the discovery of the Australian study？___

A.Remote control shouldn't be used when people watch TV.

B.People who watch TV too long should take more physical exercise.

C.Sitting too long in front of TV will lead to high risk of heart attack.

D.Long-time sitting is bad for all people including those who exercise regularly.

3.According to the study？ how can people reduce the risk of death when watching TV？___

A.By increasing simple movement.

B.By totally avoiding watching TV.

C.By taking some medicine.

D.By doing sweaty type of exercise.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The tradition of birthday parties started in Europe a long time ago. It was feared that evil spirits were particularly attracted to people on their birthdays. 1.　　 Giving gifts brought even more good cheer to keep away from the evil spirits. This is how birthday parties began.

The following are some countries’ birthday traditions:

Canada —Greasing the nose with butter. In Atlantic Canada, the birthday child’s nose is greased for good luck.

China —　　　　 2.　　　　 .The birthday child pays respect to his/her parents and receives a gift of money. Friends and relatives are invited to lunch and noodles are served to wish the birthday child a long life.

England —Fortune telling cakes. Certain symbolic objects are mixed into the birthday cake as it is being prepared.　　　　 3.

Italy —Pulling ears. The child’s ears are pulled as many times as how old they are turning.

Japan —New clothes. The birthday child wears entirely new clothes mark the occasion.

New Zealand—　　　　 4.　　　　 .After the birthday cake is lit, the happy birthday song is sung loudly and often out of tune and then the birthday person receives a clap for each year they have been alive and then one for good luck．

The United States —Cake, candles and song.　　　 5.

A. A cake is made, and candles are put on top based on how old the person is.

B. In China, on a child’s second birthday, family members put many things on the floor around the child.

C. If your piece of cake has a coin in it, then you will be rich.

D. To protect them from harm, friends and family would come to stay with the birthday person and bring good thoughts and wishes.

E. Noodles for lunch.

F. The tradition of birthday parties started a long time ago.

G. Birthday claps.

高二英语信息匹配中等难度题查看答案及解析

The First Americans

There was a time long ago when a land bridge connected Asia and North America. The first settlers in North America crossed this land bridge from what is now Siberia to Alaska. The people who made this initial(最初的) crossing were probably following the animals they used for food. Eventually, the oceans rose and the land bridge between the continents disappeared. The settlers, who I shall call the “First Americans”， could not return to their homeland. _1.__

For the next few thousand years, the First Americans migrated（迁徙） south and east throughout North and South America. They made the journey all the way from Alaska to the southern tip of South America, a distance of more than 10, 000 miles. __2.__In the far north, above the Arctic Circle, the First Americans became hunters of the ocean.  __3.__ In the brief summer，they gathered berries and other plants. In the winter, they stayed in lodges much of the time preparing for the next summer. It was a hard life，but they learned to survive in these harsh conditions.

Farther south, in what is now Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, the First Americans became cliff dwellers(悬崖居民). They began by living in caves that already existed in the cliffs.__ 4.__ The dwellings(住处) they constructed in many ways resembled today's apartment buildings.__ 5.__ They built a system of dams and canals so they could store and use water almost any time of the year. They were so successful that they could raise fruits and vegetables that were not found naturally in the desert. In Mexico and South America, the First Americans founded civilizations that were among the greatest in the world. They built huge pyramids, lived in fabulous cities, and made great advances in science and mathematics long before the Europeans arrived.

A. They also discovered foods like corn and potatoes.

B. Along the way，they established（建立） many different civilizations.

C. The First Americans of the Southwest learned to irrigate（灌溉） the desert.

D. They would have to survive in the New World they had discovered.

E. They built boats of animal skins and hunted or fished for their food.

F. People living near each other tended to share similar environments and customs.

G. They discovered how to add to the caves by building structures of wood and stone.

高二英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析