A world-famous Canadian author, Margaret Atwo...

A world-famous Canadian author, Margaret Atwood, has created the world’s first long-distance signing device(装置), the LongPen.

After many tiring……from city to city, Atwood thought there must be a better way to do them . She hired some technical experts and started her own company in 2004. Together they designed the LongPen. Here’s how it works: The author writes a personal message and signature on a computer tablet(手写板) using a special pen. On the receiving end, in another city, a robotic arm fitted with a regular pen signs the book. The author and fan can talk with each other via webcams(网络摄像机) and computer screens。

Work on the LongPen began in Atwood’s basement(地下室). At first, they had no idea it would be as hard as it turned out to be. The device went through several versions, including one that actually had smoke coming out of it. The investing finally completed, teat runs w ere made in Ottawa, and the LongPen was officially launched at the 2006 London Book Fair. From here , Atwood conducted two transatlantic book signings of her latest book for fans in Toronto and New York City.

The LongPen produces a unique signature each time because it copies the movement of the author in real time. It has several other potential applications. It could increase credit card security and allow people to sign contracts from another province. The video exchange between signer and receiver can be recorded on DVD for proof when legal documents are used.

“It’s really fun”, said the owner of a bookstore, who was present for one of the test runs. “Obviously you can’t shake hands with the author but there are chances for a connection that you don’t get from a regular book signing..

The response to the invention has not been all favorable. Atwood has received criticism from authors who think she is trying to end book tours. But she said, “It will be possible to go to places that you never got sent to before because the publishers couldn’t　 afford it.”

1.Why did Atwood decide to invent the LongPen?

A. To set up her own company

B. To win herself greater popularity

C. To write her books in a new way

C. To make book signings less tiring

2.How does the LongPen work?

A. I copies the author’s signature and prints it on a book.

B. It signs a book while　 receiving the author’s signature.

C. The webcam sends the author’s signature to another city.

D. The fan uses it to copy the author’s signature himself.

3.What do we know about the invention of the LongPen?

A. It has been completed but not put into use.

B. The basement caught fire by accident.

C. Some versions failed before its test run.

D. The designers were well-prepared for the difficulty.

4.How could the LongPen be used in the future?

A. To draft legal documents.

B. To improve credit card security

C. To keep a record of the author’s ideas.

D. To allow author and fan to exchange videos

5.What could be inferred from Paragraphs 5 and 6?

A. Atwood doesn’t mean to end book tours.

B. Critics think the LongPen is of little use

C. Bookstore owners do not support the LongPen

D. Publishers dislike the LongPen for its high cost

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A world-famous Canadian author, Margaret Atwood, has created the world’s first long-distance signing device(装置), the LongPen.

After many tiring book-signing tours from city to city, Atwood thought there must be a better way to do them. She hired some technical experts and started her own company in 2004. Together they designed the LongPen. Here’s how it works: The author writes a personal message and signature on a computer tablet(手写板) using a special pen. On the receiving end, in another city, a robotic arm fitted with a regular pen signs the book. The author and fan can talk with each other via webcams(网络摄像机) and computer screens.

Work on the LongPen began in Atwood’s basement(地下室). At first, they had no idea it would be as hard as it turned out to be. The device went through several versions, including one that actually had smoke coming out of it. The investing finally completed, test runs were made in Ottawa, and the LongPen was officially launched at the 2006 London Book Fair. From here , Atwood conducted two transatlantic book signings of her latest book for fans in Toronto and New York City.

The LongPen produces a unique signature each time because it copies the movement of the author in real time. It has several other potential applications. It could increase credit card security and allow people to sign contracts from another province. The video exchange between signer and receiver can be recorded on DVD for proof when legal documents are used.

“It’s really fun”, said the owner of a bookstore, who was present for one of the test runs. “Obviously you can’t shake hands with the author, but there are chances for a connection that you don’t get from a regular book signing.”

The response to the invention has not been all favorable. Atwood has received criticism from authors who think she is trying to end book tours. But she said, “It will be possible to go to places that you never got sent to before because the publishers couldn’t afford it.”

1.Why did Atwood decide to invent the LongPen?

A. To set up her own company.

B. To win herself greater popularity.

C. To write her books in a new way.

D . To make book signings less tiring.

2.How does the LongPen work?

A.It copies the author’s signature and prints it on a book.

B. It signs a book while receiving the author’s signature.

C. The webcam sends the author’s signature to another city.

D. The fan uses it to copy the author’s signature himself.

3.What do we know about the invention of the LongPen?

A. It has been completed but not put into use.

B. The basement caught fire by accident.

C. Some versions failed before its test run.

D. The designers were well-prepared for the difficulty.

4.How could the LongPen be used in the future?

A. To draft legal documents.

B. To improve credit card security

C. To keep a record of the author’s ideas.　　

D. To allow author and fan to exchange videos

5.What could be inferred from Paragraphs 5 and 6?

A. Atwood doesn’t mean to end book tours.

B. Critics think the LongPen is of little use

C. Bookstore owners don’t support the LongPen

D. Publishers dislike the LongPen for its high cost.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

In creating A.J. Fikry’s ordinary-yet-extraordinary life, the author Gabielle Zevin has thrown every clichés(老生常谈) into the mix. The hero, A.J. Fikry, lost his beloved wife Nic in a road accident. The sales of his bookstore have been decreasing. The enthusiastic new sales representative Amelia won’t stop annoying him with new books. His rare and very valuable first edition has gone missing. But the unexpected arrival of Maya left in his care brings about a series of events with love and hope to his life.

There are few real surprises in the plot and attentive readers will be able to tell where the story is headed. But that is not the point; the clichés and the predictable plot take nothing away from Zevin’s work The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry because it’s how she tells the story that first charms the readers, then holds their attention, making them read the whole book in a single sitting and finally give the book a long hug when they are finished. This book is a love letter to the joys of reading.

Each chapter begins with the title of a short story or a book and a note from A.J. Fikry describing what he likes about it, essentially introducing each character by what they read. The characters are so realistic that it’s hard not to fall in love with all of them: Maya, “the fantastic book-worm,” Amelia, “the giantess” with questionable taste in fashion, Lambiase, the adorable police chief, and A.J. Fikry, the reluctant hero who hates electronic reading devices that will “send centuries of a lively culture into what will surely be a rapid decline.”

The passage of time, race issues, and the bureaucratic argument of children’s services are all put aside in the telling of this story, not because there’s anything to hide or because reality is not allowed to interfere, but because the author chooses to focus on the important stuff. For example, it focuses on Lambiase who organizes a reading club for policemen at the book store. His original intention is to help promote business, but over the years he becomes a genuine book-lover, one who tends to always have simple advice for his cynical(愤世嫉俗的) friend, A.J. Fikry. “Bad timing,” Lambiase claims, “I’ve been a police officer for twenty years now and I’ll tell you pretty much every bad thing in life is a result of bad timing, and every good thing is the result of good timing.”

More than anything else, this novel is not only about the selling of them or the reading of them, but how books and stories become part of our lives, how we find ourselves within what we read and how we carry books with us. It is also about the power of unexpected happiness and always believing that something wonderful is just around the corner. The Late Bloomer is the book within a book which brings together A.J. Fikry and Amelia. It reminds them that life doesn’t follow a set script, things happen when they are meant to happen, and there is no such thing as “too late” for anything. Life is the big picture. Always look at the big picture. Enjoy it. Don’t get too concentrated on the details, because it will all be over before you know it. In the long run nobody, not even you, will remember the ordinary details because they are, in the end, quite irrelevant.

A.J. Fikry’s final words of wisdom to teen-aged Maya convey the same feelings in literary terms: “We are not quite novels. We are not quite short stories. In the end, we are collected works. We have read enough to know there are no collections where each story is perfect. Some of us hit. Some miss.”

1.The author’s attitude towards Zevin’s book is _________.

A. supportive　　 B. critical

C. objective　　 D. indifferent

2.How many characters of the novel are mentioned in the passage?

A. Four.　　 B. Five.

C. Six.　　 D. Seven.

3.The police chief organizing a reading club is mentioned to prove _________ in the novel.

A. there is really nothing to hide　　 B. reality is not allowed to interfere

C. important stuff has been focused on　　 D. everything is a result of timing

4.What can be implied in Paragraph 5?

A. The novel underlines happiness will always be around.

B. The novel mainly talks about the marketing of the book.

C. It is The Late Bloomer that brings A.J and Amelia together.

D. It is important to do things on the basis of overall situation.

5.The underlined sentence in the last paragraph most probably means _________.

A. our life is full of ups and downs　　 B. we should collect works all our life

C. our life is closely connected with books　　 D. we should read books all our life

6.The passage is mainly about _________.

A. the extraordinary life of A.J. Fikry　　 B. the moral lesson of no “too late” in life

C. a comment on The Later Bloomer　　 D. a review of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

The game of basketball was created by Dr. Naismith, a Canadian who worked as a physical education1.(instruct) at a college. He noticed2.lack of interest in exercise among students during wintertime. The Canadian winters were very cold, so the students were3.(will) to do outdoor activities. Naismith determined that a fast-moving game4.(play) indoors would fill the empty after the baseball seasons had ended. In December of 1891,he5.(hang) two old baskets at either end of the gym, and with nine players on each side, organized the first basketball game. In less than a year, basketball was being played in6.the United States and Canada. Five years7.(late), a championship was held in New York City.8.that time, the team had already been reduced to seven, and five became standard in the 1897 season. When basketball first appeared in the 1904 Olympic Games, it9.(quick) spread throughout the world. In 1906, a metal ring10.(use) to replace the basket, but the name basketball has remained.

高三英语语法填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Authorities will continue to take a hard line on Internet-based rumors and punish those creating fake information, a senior official said on Thursday.

Authorities have removed more than 210,000 online posts and shut down 42 websites since mid-March in their latest crackdown on online rumors, said Liu Zhengrong, a senior official with the State Internet Information Office.

Fake information or rumors spread through the Internet, especially on micro blogs, have harmed social order and residents’ daily lives, he said at a news briefing in Beijing.

Before the crackdown, six people who allegedly fabricated (伪造) rumors about “military vehicles entering Beijing” had been detained and 16 websites closed for disseminating fake online information, according to police authorities.

“What we’ve done and will do is to make sure residents can know what they want to know, say what they think and supervise our management in a reliable and useful network environment,” Liu said.

Liu disagreed that the Internet can police itself against rumors, and told China Daily that some netizens can’t distinguish truth from fiction, “requiring government departments and website companies to take measures”.

On Monday, the Internet Society of China posted a proposal calling on Internet companies and websites to strengthen self-discipline and prevent the spread of online rumors.

In response, three main Internet companies in the country - Sina, Baidu and Tencent - said they will target fake information with advanced technology and invest in manpower to supervise online information.

Zhao Zhiguo, deputy director of the Telecommunications Administration under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said stricter self-management of websites will help banish online rumors.

“Internet companies should take legal responsibility when operating their websites. They should not become a hotbed for rumors and provide opportunities for fake information,” Zhao said, adding they will launch similar crackdowns to close illegal website companies and punish those responsible.

Currently, people who make or spread rumors related to terrorism and securities trading, or information affecting State security and companies’ commercial reputations, will face criminal punishment.

Liu Honghui, a Beijing lawyer specializing in online cases, said he welcomed the government’s action to curb online rumors.

“Residents used online banks to shop or book flights, which needs a safe platform without fake information,” he said.

Yu Guofu, another lawyer from Sheng Feng Law Firm, said the key to reducing rumors is netizens themselves.

“If micro-bloggers think twice before forwarding information, rumors will decrease.”

1.How many websites were shut down before mid-March in the latest crackdown on online rumors?

2.What does the underlined word mean in fourth paragraph?

3.According to the passage, which of the following is true?

4.Who plays an important role in reducing Internet-based rumors?

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Margaret, married with two small children, has been working for the last seven years as a night cleaner, cleaning offices in a big building.

She trained as a nurse, but had to give it up when her elder child became seriously ill. “I would have liked to go back to it, but the shifts（工作班次）are all wrong for me, as I have to be home to get the children up and off to school.”

So she works as a cleaner instead, from 9 p.m. till 6 a.m. five nights a week for just ￡90, before tax and insurance. “It’s better than it was last year, but I still think that people who work ‘unsocial hours’ should get a bit extra.”

The hours she’s chosen to work mean that she sees plenty of the children, but very little of her husband. However, she doesn’t think that puts any pressure on their relationship.

Her work isn’t physically very hard, but it’s not exactly pleasant, either. “I do get angry with people who leave their offices like a place for raising pigs. If they realized people like me have to do it, perhaps they’d be a bit more careful.”

The fact that she’s working all night doesn’t worry Margaret at all. Unlike some dark buildings at night, the building where she works is fully lit, and the women work in groups of three. “Since I’ve got to be here, I try to enjoy myself—— and I usually do, because of the other girls. We all have a good laugh, so the time never drags.”

Another challenge Margaret has to face is the reaction of other people when she tells them what she does for a living. “They think you’re a cleaner because you don’t know how to read and write,” said Margaret, “I used to think what my parents would say if they knew what I’d been doing, but I don’t think that way any more. I don’t dislike the work though I can’t say I’m mad about it.”

1.Margaret quit her job as a nurse because _______.

A. she wanted to earn more money to support her family

B. she had suffered a lot of mental pressure

C. she needed the right time to look after her children

D. she felt tired of taking care of patients

2.Margaret gets angry with people who work in the office because _______.

A. they never clean their offices

B. they look down upon cleaners

C. they never do their work carefully

D. they always make a mess in their offices

3.When at work, Margaret feels _______.

A. light-hearted because of her fellow workers

B. happy because the building is fully lit

C. tired because of the heavy workload

D. bored because time passes slowly

4.The underlined part in the last paragraph implies that Margaret’s parents would _______.

A. help care for her children

B. regret what they had said

C. show sympathy for her

D. feel disappointed in her

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Margaret, married with two small children, has been working for the last seven years as a night cleaner, cleaning offices in a big building.

She trained as a nurse, but had to give it up when her elder child became seriously ill．“I would have liked to go back to it, but the shifts（工作班次）are all wrong for me, as I have to be home to get the children up and off to school.”

So she works as a cleaner instead, from 9 p.m．till 6 a.m．five nights a week for just ￡90, before tax and insurance．“It’s better than it was last year, but I still think that people who work ‘unsocial hours’ should get a bit extra.”

The hours she’s chosen to work mean that she sees plenty of the children, but very little of her husband．However, she doesn’t think that puts any pressure on their relationship.

Her work isn’t physically very hard, but it’s not exactly pleasant, either．“I do get angry with people who leave their offices like a place for raising pigs．If they realized people like me have to do it, perhaps they’d be a bit more careful.”

The fact that she’s working all night doesn’t worry Margaret at all．Unlike some dark buildings at night, the building where she works is fully lit, and the women work in groups of three．“Since I’ve got to be here, I try to enjoy myself—— and I usually do, because of the other girls．We all have a good laugh, so the time never drags.”

Another challenge Margaret has to face is the reaction of other people when she tells them what she does for a living．“They think you’re a cleaner because you don’t know how to read and write,” said Margaret, “I used to think what my parents would say if they knew what I’d been doing, but I don’t think that way any more．I don’t dislike the work though I can’t say I’m mad about it.”

1.Margaret quit her job as a nurse because _______.

A．she wanted to earn more money to support her family

B．she had suffered a lot of mental pressure

C．she needed the right time to look after her children

D．she felt tired of taking care of patients

2.Margaret gets angry with people who work in the office because _______.

A．they never clean their offices                B．they look down upon cleaners

C．they never do their work carefully         D．they always make a mess in their offices

3.When at work, Margaret feels _______.

A．light-hearted because of her fellow workers

B．happy because the building is fully lit

C．tired because of the heavy workload

D．bored because time passes slowly

4.The underlined part in the last paragraph implies that Margaret’s parents would _______.

A．help care for her children                      B．regret what they had said

C．show sympathy for her                        D．feel disappointed in her

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Margaret, married with two small children, has been working for the last seven years as a night cleaner, cleaning offices in a big building.

She trained as a nurse, but had to give it up when her elder child became seriously ill. “I would have liked to go back to it, but the shifts（工作班次）are all wrong for me, as I have to be home to get the children up and off to school.”

So she works as a cleaner instead, from 9 p.m. till 6 a.m. five nights a week for just ￡90, before tax and insurance. “It’s better than it was last year, but I still think that people who work ‘unsocial hours’ should get a bit extra.”

The hours she’s chosen to work mean that she sees plenty of the children, but very little of her husband. However, she doesn’t think that puts any pressure on their relationship.

Her work isn’t physically very hard, but it’s not exactly pleasant, either. “I do get angry with people who leave their offices like a place for raising pigs. If they realized people like me have to do it, perhaps they’d be a bit more careful.”

The fact that she’s working all night doesn’t worry Margaret at all. Unlike some dark buildings at night, the building where she works is fully lit, and the women work in groups of three. “Since I’ve got to be here, I try to enjoy myself—— and I usually do, because of the other girls. We all have a good laugh, so the time never drags.”

Another challenge Margaret has to face is the reaction of other people when she tells them what she does for a living. “They think you’re a cleaner because you don’t know how to read and write,” said Margaret, “I used to think what my parents would say if they knew what I’d been doing, but I don’t think that way any more. I don’t dislike the work though I can’t say I’m mad about it.”

1.Margaret quit her job as a nurse because _______.

2.Margaret gets angry with people who work in the office because _______.

3.When at work, Margaret feels _______.

4.The underlined part in the last paragraph implies that Margaret’s parents would _______.

高三英语填空题简单题查看答案及解析

Margaret, married with two small children, has been working for the last seven years as a night cleaner, cleaning offices in a big building.

She trained as a nurse, but had to give it up when her elder child became seriously ill．“I would have liked to go back to it, but the shifts（工作班次）are all wrong for me, as I have to be home to get the children up and off to school.”

So she works as a cleaner instead, from 9 p.m．till 6 a.m．five nights a week for just ￡90, before tax and insurance．“It’s better than it was last year, but I still think that people who work ‘unsocial hours’ should get a bit extra.”

The hours she’s chosen to work mean that she sees plenty of the children, but very little of her husband．However, she doesn’t think that puts any pressure on their relationship.

Her work isn’t physically very hard, but it’s not exactly pleasant, either．“I do get angry with people who leave their offices like a place for raising pigs．If they realized people like me have to do it, perhaps they’d be a bit more careful.”

The fact that she’s working all night doesn’t worry Margaret at all．Unlike some dark buildings at night, the building where she works is fully lit, and the women work in groups of three．“Since I’ve got to be here, I try to enjoy myself—— and I usually do, because of the other girls．We all have a good laugh, so the time never drags.”

Another challenge Margaret has to face is the reaction of other people when she tells them what she does for a living．“They think you’re a cleaner because you don’t know how to read and write,” said Margaret, “I used to think what my parents would say if they knew what I’d been doing, but I don’t think that way any more．I don’t dislike the work though I can’t say I’m mad about it.”

1.Margaret quit her job as a nurse because _______.

A．she wanted to earn more money to support her family

B．she had suffered a lot of mental pressure

C．she needed the right time to look after her children

D．she felt tired of taking care of patients

2.Margaret gets angry with people who work in the office because _______.

A．they never clean their offices

B．they look down upon cleaners

C．they never do their work carefully

D．they always make a mess in their offices

3.When at work, Margaret feels _______.

A．light-hearted because of her fellow workers

B．happy because the building is fully lit

C．tired because of the heavy workload

D．bored because time passes slowly

4.The underlined part in the last paragraph implies that Margaret’s parents would _______.

A．help care for her children                      B．regret what they had said

C．show sympathy for her                        D．feel disappointed in her

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Moyan has won the Noble Prize in Literature, which has made him world-famous, but before that no one could have imagined how great a role he _______ in the literary world.

A. had played         B. has played           C. is playing            D. was to play

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析