The United States Congress is responsible for...

The United States Congress is responsible for making and approving federal laws—rules that everyone in the country must follow.But exactly how do those laws get made? The process is not easy，and it takes a long time.

A law begins when someone puts forward an idea.The idea can come from anyone，but it has to get to a U.S.lawmaker who wants it to become legislation.In time，the idea is further developed into a written proposal，called a bill.

Then，a member of Congress officially proposes the bill.After the bill is introduced，it is sent to a small group of lawmakers，called a“committee”.Sometimes committee members seek more information about the proposal by holding hearings.Sometimes the committee changes the bill.Sometimes it decides not to take any action.In that case，we say lawmakers“table”the bill，or let it“die in committee”.

But now and then，the bill is offered to lawmakers not on the committee.Those lawmakers debate the bill further.They might change the bill again.Finally，the full House or Senate votes on the bill.If it does not earn the majority of votes，the bill does not advance.

Finally，the agreed-upon bill is sent to the president.If the president signs it，the bill becomes a law.If the president does nothing and Congress is officially meeting，the bill becomes a law.But if the president does nothing and Congress is not in session，the bill does not pass.Or the president can officially reject the bill.If that happens，the bill is not stopped.Instead，it is returned to both the Senate and the House.If two-thirds of the senators and two-thirds of the House members approve the bill once again，even with the president objecting，they turn the bill into a law.

1.Who is the first to propose a bill?

A. A lawyer.

B. A citizen.

C. A member of Congress.

D. A committee member.

2.When does a bill finally become a law?

A. After it is sent to a committee.

B. When the president signs it.

C. After it returns to the Congress.

D. While Congress is not in session.

3.What can be inferred from the text?

A. Not every bill can be turned into a law.

B. Anybody can put forward a proposal.

C. If“tabled”，the bill has to be voted on.

D. Once proposed，the bill can't be changed.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Shirley Chisholm was best known as the first black woman elected to the United States Congress and the first black woman to run for president of the United States. However, her life was filled with much more than being the first black woman to do important things. She believed in being a person to fight for change. All her life, she worked to improve the lives of others.

Shirley was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1924. Though her parents had very little money, they wanted their daughters to get a good education and to have a better life. When Shirley was three years old they sent her and her sisters to live with their grandmother in Barbados. There Shirley received a good education from the British school system. She enjoyed the years with her grandmother. Shirley always remembered the words her grandmother spoke.

In 1934 Shirley moved back to Brooklyn. She continued to do very well in school. She later graduated from Brooklyn College with honors.In 1949, she married Conrad Chisholm who worked as a private investigator. Together they took part in local politics. Their marriage ended almost thirty years later.

As a young woman, Shirley decided to become a teacher.She believed she could improve society by helping children.She worked for seven years at a childcare center in the Harlem area of New York City.She attended Columbia University at night and received an advanced degree in early childhood education in 1952. She became known as an expert in children and early education.From 1959 to 1964 Shirley was an education official in the day care division of the city's office of child welfare.

In 1964 Shirley's political career began.She was elected to the New York State Assembly, where she served for four years.In 1968 she ran for the United States Congress and she succeeded. She became the first black woman elected to Congress.

Shirley was very different from other members of Congress.She looked different.Her hair was a big cloud of curls. She wore very large eyeglasses. And she had dark skin. Her voice was strong.She spoke with power.She said her greatest tool was her mouth. She was not afraid to say the things others would not say before Congress and the public.

1.From the passage，we learn that Shirley's parents believed that ________.

A．women played an important part in modern society

B．black people ought to have equal rights as whites

C．a good education was important for a child's future

D．the UK had a better education system than the USA

2.Who influenced Shirley most during her childhood?

A．Her father.　    B．Her mother.

C．Her sisters.　    D．Her grandmother.

3.How many of the following have been mentioned in the passage?

a．Her education.　    b．Her family.

c．Her marriage.　    d．Her political career.

e．Her political beliefs.　　    f．Her contribution to the USA.

A．Three.　    B．Four.

C．Five.　    D．Six.

4.In which order did the following events take place?

a．Her marriage to Conrad Chisholm ended.

b．She was elected to the New York State Assembly.

c．She became an education official.

d．She succeeded in running for the United States Congress.

e．She received an advanced degree in Columbia University.

A．e－c－b－d－a　    B．c－a－b－d－e

C．e－c－a－b－d　    D．e－c－b－a－d

5.The last paragraph mainly tells us about ________.

A．her political career

B．her political opinions

C．her typical style

D．her contribution in politics

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Most teenagers in the United States spend their time trying to make time for school, family and friends. But some choose bigger goals and make a difference in the world.

At age 15, Winter Vinecki has already had more _________ than most people have in their lifetime. Doctors discovered Winter’s fathers had a rare and _______ form of prostate cancer when she was nine years old. He died 10 months later. “When he was first diagnosed I immediately knew I had to do something to help him. That’s ______ I formed Team Winter for prostate cancer research and ______.” Winter Vinecki has raised almost 500,000 dollars. She has _______ prostate cancer education worldwide from Kenya to Mongolia_________ foot races called marathons, on seven continents. In the United States she travels _______ to talk about prostate cancer and _______ others to act. Winter Vinecki spoke recently at a conference in Los Angeles. “Prostate cancer is much more common, ________ the men don’t want to talk about it. So that’s why a nine-year-old girl had to go out there and start talking it for _______.”

Jack Andraka invented an inexpensive sensor that _______ cancers of the pancreas, ovaries and lungs. Jack is now 17and seeking patents for his latest inventions. He has developed low-cost water quality _______. They help identify and remove heavy metals and poisonous chemical from_____. “I hope to see them _______ in the developing nations.”

Sixteen-year-old Mary-Pat Hector saw a problem in her own community. She says too many young people were ________in gun violence. It kind of made her feel like she had to do something about it. So she started a _________ to educate young people about gun violence. “I just want the world to be a better place,” she said.

Mary-Pat hector, Jack Andraka, and Winter Vinecki say a ________ of supportive parents, the Internet and social media has helped them succeed; but Winter and Jack also created their inner ________. “Ｉthink the biggest thing for kids and adults is to never let age and gender be a _________ and to not just dream but dream big,” said Vinecki. “ Never let anyone else tell you ______.” Said Andraka. “Always keep going for your dream, so anything is possible.”

1.A. opportunities B. troubles　　 C. successes　　 D. risks

2.A. passive　　　　 B. sensitive　 C. aggressive　　 D. negative

3.A. when　　　　　　 B. because　　 C. where　　　　 D. How

4.A. development　 B. threat　　 C. panic　　　　 D. awareness

5.A. taken　　　　 B. received　　 C. searched　　 D. tested

6.A. through　　　 B. off　　　　　 C. over　　　　 D. beyond

7.A. officially　 B. continually　 C. peacefully　 D. temporarily

8.A. promise　　　　 B. pay　　　　 C. urge　　　　　 D. prefer

9.A. for　　　　　　 B. before　　 C. unless　　　　 D. but

10.A. her　　　　　 B. teenagers C. them　　　　 D. fathers

11.A. cures　　　 B. improves　　 C. prevents　　 D. identifies

12.A. experiments　 B. devices　 C. trials　　　　 D. data

13.A. body　　　　 B. water　　　　 C. land　　　　　　 D. food

14.A. carried　　 B. exposed　　 C. employed　　 D. handled

15.A. failing　 B. fleeing　　　 C. declining　　 D. dying

16.A. revolutionB. discussion　 C. business　　　 D. campaign

17.A. combinationB. convenience C. competence　 D. consideration

18.A. harmony　　 B. satisfaction　 C. selves　　 D. impressions

19.A. barrier　　 B. favor　　　　 C. benefit　　　 D. difference

20.A. all　　　　　　 B. no　　　　　 C. nothing　　　　 D. none

高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Earlier this month, the United States Library of Congress named Katherine Paterson the national ambassador for young people’s literature.

She is only the second person to hold the position. She replaces writer Jon Scieszka,who had served since two thousand eight.

The librarian of Congress, James Billington, said Miz Paterson “represents the finest in literature for young people”. He spoke of the importance of reading in the lives of America’s young people.Miz Paterson has written more than thirty books. She is among only five writers to have won two Newbery Medals. These are among the most important children’s book awards in the United States.

“Bridge to Terabithia” won a Newbery Medal in nineteen seventy-seven. Her book “Jacob Have I

Loved” won the award in nineteen eighty-one.

Katherine Paterson’s books for children are often quite complex. “Bridge to Terabithia” includes

adult themes like depression and death. The book has caused debate because of its place on school

library bookshelves. Some parents think it is too adult for young children. Miz Paterson says the idea

for the book came from a real life experience. Her son’s best friend died in nineteen seventy-four

when she was struck by lightening.

Katherine Paterson is seventy-seven. She began writing as a young mother with three children. But

she says her interest in writing came as a surprise. As a child she had thought about becoming a

Christian religious worker in foreign countries like her parents were.

Katherine Paterson spoke to a gathering of children when she was named ambassador on January

fifth in Washington. She said: “Read for your life. Read for your life as a member of a family, as a part

of a community, as a citizen of this country and a citizen of the world.

1.The Newbery medal is designed for ______.

A. writers with best books for grown-ups      B. children with best books on adult themes

C. writers with best books for children        D. children with best books on nature

2.Which of the following is NOT true about the book Bridge to Terabithia?

A. Its topics include depression and death.     B. It won a Newbery Medal in the 1980s.

C. Some people think it’s for adults only.      D. The idea for it came directly from real life.

3.As a child, Katherine_______.

A. had bad relations with her parents  B. showed great interest in writing books

C. hoped to take part in religious activities     D. began writing books with serious themes

4.The national ambassador for young people’s literature as a position started in_____.

A. 1977           B. 1981            C. 2008         D. 2009

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Earlier this month, the United States Library of Congress named Katherine Paterson the national ambassador for young people’s literature.

She is only the second person to hold the position. She replaces writer Jon Scieszka,who had served since two thousand eight.

The librarian of Congress, James Billington, said Miz Paterson “represents the finest in literature for young people”. He spoke of the importance of reading in the lives of America’s young people.Miz Paterson has written more than thirty books. She is among only five writers to have won two Newbery Medals. These are among the most important children’s book awards in the United States.

“Bridge to Terabithia” won a Newbery Medal in nineteen seventy-seven. Her book “Jacob Have I

Loved” won the award in nineteen eighty-one.

Katherine Paterson’s books for children are often quite complex. “Bridge to Terabithia” includes

adult themes like depression and death. The book has caused debate because of its place on school

library bookshelves. Some parents think it is too adult for young children. Miz Paterson says the idea

for the book came from a real life experience. Her son’s best friend died in nineteen seventy-four

when she was struck by lightening.

Katherine Paterson is seventy-seven. She began writing as a young mother with three children. But

she says her interest in writing came as a surprise. As a child she had thought about becoming a

Christian religious worker in foreign countries like her parents were.

Katherine Paterson spoke to a gathering of children when she was named ambassador on January

fifth in Washington. She said: “Read for your life. Read for your life as a member of a family, as a part

of a community, as a citizen of this country and a citizen of the world.

1. The Newbery medal is designed for ______.

A. writers with best books for grown-ups      B. children with best books on adult themes

C. writers with best books for children        D. children with best books on nature

2. Which of the following is NOT true about the book Bridge to Terabithia?

A. Its topics include depression and death.     B. It won a Newbery Medal in the 1980s.

C. Some people think it’s for adults only.      D. The idea for it came directly from real life.

3. As a child, Katherine_______.

A. had bad relations with her parents       B. showed great interest in writing books

C. hoped to take part in religious activities     D. began writing books with serious themes

4. The national ambassador for young people’s literature as a position started in_____.

A. 1977           B. 1981            C. 2008         D. 2009

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Culture and Cuisine

The United States is known for jazz and blue jeans．But travel to Paris and ask your average French citizen about American cuisine (烹饪) and he’s likely to answer，“ McDonalds．” Ask the same thing of any American citizen on any American street and I’m afraid you’d get the same answer，or something close to it．

Hamburgers and hotdogs and fries are all fine，but with American malls and other outlets standardizing everything from clothing to food，the sad truth is that American cuisine is becoming more homogeneous―all the same―no matter where you live．True，many Americans are eating more varied foods these days，but these are largely the cuisines of immigrant groups，and they are quite likely to be affected by homogenization of American cuisine．

So what exactly is American cuisine？ Well，to some extent it is a reflection of our melting pot culture，meaning that Europeans made huge contributions in the form of wheat，dairy products，pork，beef and poultry．But American cuisine also includes products that once were known only to the New World，including potatoes，corn，pumpkin，sweet potatoes，and peanuts．

The one region of the country where you still find all these things in daily use is the Deep South．The South lost the Civil War，but children of the southerners are winning the battle to preserve and advance their cooking traditions—and in this case one of the few cuisines can truly be called American，which is why we’re pleased to have Low Country cuisine in this issue of food creation．That’s right，grits and gravy are back in a big way in cities like Charleston and Savannah．Truth is，they never really left，but up until a decade ago Low Country cuisine was more common at home than in restaurants．

In fact，a large number of tourists now go to the lower Atlantic region in order to experience this extraordinary cuisine for themselves．Time will tell whether Low Country cuisine becomes popular in other regions of the country in the way that，say，Italian cuisine has，but it’s amazing and heartening to see one of our true cultural treasures enjoying renewed popularity in these increasingly homogeneous times．

1.According to the passage，American cuisine impresses people as being _______．

A．dull and changeless

B．rich and various

C．popular and delicious

D．disagreeable and unpleasant

2.It can be seen that the writer feels regretful that _______．

A．cuisines of other countries play a more important role in America

B．American cuisine has become increasingly lacking in variety

C．American cuisine tends to vary because of immigration

D．American cuisine is being changed by foreign cuisines

3.From the passage，we know that grits and gravy _______．

A．were cooked with new materials after the Civil War

B．are gaining popularity in the south of America

C．were more popular over ten years ago

D．are seldom served in restaurants

4.What’s the writer’s attitude towards the renewal of Low Country cuisine in America？

A．Concerned and cautious．

B．Hopeless and doubtful．

C．Positive and supportive．

D．Critical and disapproving．

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Life expectancy in the United States has been in decline for the first time in decades, and public health officials have identified a series of potential causes, including inaccessible health care, rising drug addiction and rates of mental health disorders, and socio-economic factors. Now, a study led by the Yale School of Medicine has attempted to find out the relative impact of two factors most often linked to life expectancy – race and education – by looking at data about 5,114 black and white participants in four U.S. cities.

The lives and deaths among this group of people – who took part in the study approximately 30 years ago when they were in their early 20s – show that the level of education, and not race, is the best predictor of who will live the longest.

Among the 5,114 people followed in the study, 395 had died. These deaths were occurring in working-age people, often with children, before the age of 60. The rates of death among participants in this group did clearly show racial differences, with approximately 9% of blacks dying at an early age compared to 6% of whites. There were also differences in causes of death by race. For instance, black men were significantly more likely to die of murder and white men from AIDS. The most common causes of death across all groups over time were cardiovascular disease and cancer.

But there were also obvious differences in rates of death by education level. Approximately 13% of participants with a high school degree or less education died compared with only approximately 5% of college graduates.

Strikingly, when looking at race and education at the same time, the researchers found that differences related to race almost disappeared: 13.5% of black subjects and 13.2% of white subjects with a high school degree or less died during the course of the study. By contrast, 5.9% of black subjects and 4.3% of whites with college degrees had died.

Therefore, improving overall quality of education is something tangible that can help reverse (扭转)this troubling trend in reduction of life expectancy among middle-aged adults.

1.What can we learn about the participants in the study?

A.The whites are more aggressive.

B.The whites got higher education.

C.More blacks than whites died young.

D.More whites than blacks died of cancer.

2.Compared with education, the influence of race on death rates is 　　　　　 .

A.significant B.unnoticeable

C.growing D.long-lasting

3.What does the underlined word “tangible” probably mean?

A.Realistic. B.Creative.

C.Challenging. D.Temporary.

4.What can be inferred from the research findings？

A.People can get smart through learning.

B.One should not discriminate other races.

C.People don’t enjoy equal rights for education.

D.One can live longer by getting more education.

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Joseph Goldberger was a doctor for the United States Public Health Service and he was an advocate for scientific and social recognition of the links between poverty and disease. In 1914, Goldberger was asked by US Surgeon General Rupert Blue to study a skin disease that was killing thousands of people in the South. The disease was pellagra (糙皮病)．

Goldberger traveled to the state of Mississippi where many people suffered from pellagra. He studied the victims and their families. Most of the people lived a hard life. The doctor came to believe that the disease didn’t pass on from one to another, but was instead related to food. He received permission from the state governor to test this idea at a prison. Prisoners were offered pardons if they took part. One group of prisoners received their usual foods, mostly corn products. A second group ate meat, fresh vegetables and drank milk. Members of the first group developed pellagra. The second group did not.

But some medical researchers refused to accept Goldberger’s idea. For the South, pellagra was more than simply a medical problem. There were other things, including Southern pride.

So Goldberger had himself injected (注射) with blood from a person with pellagra. He also took liquid from the nose and throat of a pellagra patient and put them into his own nose and throat. He even swallowed pills that contained skin from pellagra patients. An assistant also took part in the experiments. So did Goldberger’s wife. None of them got sick.

Joseph Goldberger died of cancer in 1929. He was fifty­five years old. Several years later, researchers discovered the exact cause of pellagra: a lack of vitamin B3 known as niacin.

1.Who were likely to get pellagra according to Goldberger?

A.People in the south of America.

B.People having a poor diet.

C.People in prison.

D.People touching pellagra patients.

2.What did Goldberger want to prove by the experiments mentioned in Paragraph 4?

A.Pellagra wasn’t so terrible.

B.Pellagra could be cured.

C.Pellagra didn’t spread.

D.Pellagra wasn’t a medical problem.

3.Why did some medical researchers refuse to accept Goldberger’s idea?

A.Goldberger’s idea sounds ridiculous.

B.They have done their own research.

C.The result hurt their pride.

D.Goldberger didn’t do enough research.

4.Which words can be used to describe Goldberger?

A.Selfless and friendly. B.Devoted and determined.

C.Patient and expert. D.Stubborn and enthusiastic.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The candidate who is longing for election to the highest office in the United States must be native-born American citizen who is at least 35 years old and who has lived in the United States for at least 14 years. The election course is complicated, and the road to the Oval Office is long.

Potential candidates must present papers stating their intention to seek their party’s recommendation; delegates(代表) then choose from among those running some months later at the national conferences. Before that, however, each state holds a primary election that determines how the state’s voters want the party’s delegates to vote. Methods of choosing the delegates vary from state to state. At the conferences, there are speeches and often heated discussions. It may take several rounds of voting before delegates can agree on a candidate. On the final day of the meeting, the presidential candidate announces his or her choice for vice president.

Election Day, by law, is the Tuesday that follows the first Monday in November. On this day, registered voters may cast their votes for president, vice president, and candidates for other federal state, and local offices. The popular vote, however, does not determine who will be president. The president is chosen by a vote of the Electoral College, a group of 538 citizens from the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are chosen to cast votes for the president and vice president.

The rules for choosing electors, as with the delegates, vary. Each state also decides whether its electoral votes must reflect the popular vote. The number of electors in each state is determined by the number of representatives and senators that a state sends to Congress and, therefore, may change every 10 years, depending on the results of the United States census (人口普查). The winner must get at least 270 of the electoral votes when the Electoral College meets in December of the election year. The election results are not official, however, until the following January, when Congress meets in a joint conference to count the electoral votes.

At the end of the road to the Oval Office is the swearing-in ceremony, at which the new or reelected president takes the oath of office on January 20.

1.Which of the following is not a requirement for candidates for the presidency of the USA?

A. Minimum age of thirty-five years old.　　　

B. Native of the United States of America.

C. Bottom residency of fourteen years in the State

D. Previous experience in an elective office.

2.According to the passage, we can conclude that _______.

A. ways to select the delegates of each state are very much the same in the USA.

B. the candidate who wins the popular vote will be the winner of the election

C. the change of a state’s population barely has effects on the presidential election.

D. the presidents of the United States are theoretically picked by the citizens directly.

3.Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A. The Various Ways of Presidential Election in the USA

B. The Qualifications for Being the President of the USA

C. The Process of the Election for the President of the USA

D. The Rules for Choosing Presidential Candidates in the USA

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

HARVARD, the top university in the United States, is a dream place for many students. Imagine being able to see how unique Harvard students are. Asking them what they learn. And how their classes are conducted.

This month, 300 students from different parts of China had an opportunity to spend a week with Harvard students. They gathered in the High School Attached to Fudan University in Shanghai where the Harvard College Association for US-China Relations Summit for Young Leaders in China (HSYLC 2007) took place. Over 40 Harvard undergraduates took part in it!

Around 2,000 Chinese students applied online for the program, which included various activities. Wang Wenjing, 17, from Shanghai Jingye High School was one of the 300 participants to be selected.

Seminars (研讨会)

Every day, the schedule was very busy filled with seminars, lectures, workshops (研习班), games and parties. Wang liked the seminars most.

Seminars are small classes with no more than 10 students. Wang could choose six from 40 different seminars to attend. A Harvard student led each one.

"They explored international issues such as US immigration (移民). We were allowed lively discussion and sometimes the only thing we did in a class was debate," Wang said. "To prepare for the next seminar, we often stayed up late doing research. No one could keep silent and it was fun to share ideas with others."

Celebrities’(名人) lectures

Each day, two or three lectures were given. Wang was excited that the lecturers were famous figures that before she had only seen on TV.

"I finally know why people are crazy about Yi Zhongtian. He is intelligent and eloquent (有口才的). Pu Bajia taught me how to overcome difficulties and plan for the future. All the lectures were inspiring," she said.

At the closing ceremony, Wang and her partner from Nanjing presented their workshop project. It was a survey of how Chinese view Americans, as an article about how Americans view Chinese is popular on the Internet.

"The program taught me what I could not otherwise learn in the classroom. Harvard students also let me know how important to be creative," she said.

高三英语填空题中等难度题查看答案及解析