Japanese couples, too busy for a normal social life, are increasingly turning to actors to play their friends on the most important days of their lives.
Several agencies have sprung up(涌现)offering actors to attend weddings or even funerals.The first guest-for-hire company was established about nine years ago and around 10 agencies now send out dozens of pretend friends to family events.
Agencies such as Hagemashi Tai, which means “I want to cheer you up”, charge around £100 for each “guest”. Other services such as giving a speech in praise of a bride or the groom cost extra.
The appearance of the small fake friends industry has been linked to social and economic changes in Japan.With lifetime employment (终身雇佣制)a thing of the past, couples feel uncomfortable about inviting work colleagues to their wedding.Increasingly busy and put upon, many Japanese surround themselves with only a very small circle of friends.
When they marry, however, they are under pressure to match the number of their new partner’s wedding guests.
Office Agents, the largest provider of pretend friends, makes sure that its employees have done their homework and know all about the bride or groom before the wedding.
Hiroshi Mizutani, the company’s founder, said the fake friends he provides must look happy, be well dressed and look like people with good jobs.
1.Why did fake friends industry come into being in Japan?
A.Because of social and economic changes B.Because of lifetime employment
C.Because of normal social life D.Because of work pressure
2.Pretend friends will be present at the following occasions except ________.
A.weddings B.funerals C.work D.family gathering
3.The agents make sure that ________.
A.fake friends have done their housework B.fake friends have good jobs
C.fake friends must look happy and be well dressed D.fake friends feel uncomfortable
4.What is the best title of this passage?
A.Japanese Couples are Under Pressure to Get Married B.Japanese Couples’ Social Life
C.The First Guest-for-hire Company in Japan D.Japanese Couples Rely on Fake Friends
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
Japanese couples, too busy for a normal social life, are increasingly turning to actors to play their friends on the most important days of their lives.
Several agencies have sprung up(涌现)offering actors to attend weddings or even funerals.The first guest-for-hire company was established about nine years ago and around 10 agencies now send out dozens of pretend friends to family events.
Agencies such as Hagemashi Tai, which means “I want to cheer you up”, charge around £100 for each “guest”. Other services such as giving a speech in praise of a bride or the groom cost extra.
The appearance of the small fake friends industry has been linked to social and economic changes in Japan.With lifetime employment (终身雇佣制)a thing of the past, couples feel uncomfortable about inviting work colleagues to their wedding.Increasingly busy and put upon, many Japanese surround themselves with only a very small circle of friends.
When they marry, however, they are under pressure to match the number of their new partner’s wedding guests.
Office Agents, the largest provider of pretend friends, makes sure that its employees have done their homework and know all about the bride or groom before the wedding.
Hiroshi Mizutani, the company’s founder, said the fake friends he provides must look happy, be well dressed and look like people with good jobs.
1.Why did fake friends industry come into being in Japan?
A.Because of social and economic changes B.Because of lifetime employment
C.Because of normal social life D.Because of work pressure
2.Pretend friends will be present at the following occasions except ________.
A.weddings B.funerals C.work D.family gathering
3.The agents make sure that ________.
A.fake friends have done their housework B.fake friends have good jobs
C.fake friends must look happy and be well dressed D.fake friends feel uncomfortable
4.What is the best title of this passage?
A.Japanese Couples are Under Pressure to Get Married B.Japanese Couples’ Social Life
C.The First Guest-for-hire Company in Japan D.Japanese Couples Rely on Fake Friends
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Keeping a busy social life among lots of friends may keep people thinner than spending hours doing some exercises, according to scientists. They say that socializing and meeting with friends help increase levels of brown fat in the body which burns calories to produce heat.
Living in an exciting social environment was found to reduce fat in mice's belly by half over four weeks, even if they ate more. US researchers say that social excitement aids weight loss by turning white fat into brown. White fat stores calories and makes us fatter, while brown burns energy to produce heat. Turning white fat into brown is extremely difficult, normally requiring long- term stay in cold conditions or exciting part of the body's nervous system.
However, scientists from Ohio State University now think that having a busy social life is an even more effective way of changing white fat into brown. The team came up with their theory by studying the effects of various living environments on mice. Those, who lived alongside a greater number of mice, had more space and toys to excite themselves and then lost far more weight over the course of the study than their “couch potato" fellows.
Study author, Dr Matthew During, whose team’s findings appear in the journal Cell Metabolism, said, “I'm still amazed at the degree of fat loss that occurs.” explaining how new technology had threatened face-to-face socializing, he added, “It's not just a sedentary(久坐的) lifestyle and high calorie foods, but an increasing lack of social activities.” Co-author Dr Lei Cao said,“Loneliness is a potential factor for cancer and death; it's equal to cigarette smoking to a certain extent. Social activities are very vital.”
1.What information can we get from the first two paragraphs?
A. Brown fat stores calories and makes us fatter.
B. It doesn’t take long to turn white fat into brown.
C. Brown fat can burn energy to produce heat.
D. Social excitement helps gain more weight.
2.Which of the following statement does the text support?
A. The mice lacking social life lose more weight.
B. Levels of brown fat can be increased by socializing.
C. The research findings haven’t been published so far.
D. Dr Matthew During wasn’t convinced of the result.
3.We can conclude from the text that _______.
A. the fat in mice’s belly was reduced because of the relaxing environment
B. a sedentary lifestyle and high calories foods influence people’s social life
C. surfing the Internet may influence people’s face-to-face communication
D. cancer and death are mainly caused for lack of social life
4. What’s the main idea of the text?
A. Socializing contributes to people's losing weight
B. Socializing is unnecessarily important in people’s daily life.
C. White fat can be changed into brown fat.
D. Brown fat is beneficial to people’s health.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Pressure too much?
In our daily life we are used to hearing these words, “I can't wait for my holiday,” “I wish I could stay home today” And “I'm very tired.” These words come from pressure at work. Now the “iron rice bowl”(铁饭碗) is being broken into pieces. Workers may be fired if they don’t perform their duties well. They have to do their jobs better.
People feel pressure not only because they might find themselves out of work but also because they get no real pleasure from their work. For most of the workers, work is just a way of earning money. It appears to be meaningless and worthless.
But pressure is a natural part of work. There is no way to keep away from it. We should face up to it.
Work should be a cause of happiness and pride rather than a punishment or a burden .In fact, a certain amount of pressure can provide challenge and chance for learning. To a modern man who is worried and low in spirit, developing a hobby and finding a new interest is of first importance. I like listening to pop music, which makes me calm and gives me pleasure.
If pressure becomes difficult to deal with, we should turn to our friends or families. We can have a drink with our friends and talk about the problem. We should always discuss our problems with our families. Good advice, warmth and happiness that families bring to us can reduce our pressure and encourage us to smooth away all difficulties.
1.Peopel feel pressure at work mainly because ______.
A. they will lose their jobs
B. most of them find less interest in their work
C. they can make more money after work.
D. they want to stay at home.
2.Which of the following is WRONG in the writer’s opinion?
A. Where there is work there is pressure.
B. Work shouldn’t be regarded as punishment or burden.
C. All modern men are worried and low in spirit.
D. A certain amount of pressure is necessary.
3.From the text we can know that when pressure is too big, ________.
A. we should drink coffee with our friends
B. we can get help and comfort from our friends or families.
C. we can go home because it is warm
D. to talk out the problem to our friends and families is the best way.
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
By now, we are all aware that social media has had a powerful influence on our culture, in business, on the world at large. Social media websites revolutionized the way people communicate and socialize on the Web. However, besides seeing your friends' new baby on Facebook, or reading about Justin Bieber's latest conflict with the law on Twitter, what are some of the real influences?
Social networks offer the opportunity for people to reconnect with their old friends and acquaintances, make new friends, share ideas and pictures, and many other activities. Users can keep pace with the latest global and local developments, and take part in campaigns and activities of their choice. Professionals use social media sites like Linkedln to improve their career and business development. Students can work together with their peers to improve their academic and communication skills.
Unfortunately, there are a few downsides too to social networking. If you are not careful, immoral people can target you for cyber bullying(网络欺凌) and disturbance on social sites. School children, young girls, and women can fall victim to online attacks which can create tension and suffering. If you are a victim of cyber bullying, do not take it lying down, but try to take appropriate legal action against the attacker.
Many companies have blocked social networks as addicted employees can distract (分心)themselves on such sites, instead of focusing on work. In fact, studies show that British companies have lost billions of dollars per year in productivity because of social media addiction among employees.
Also, what you carelessly post on the Net can come back to trouble you. Leaking personal information on social sites can make users easily harmed to crimes like identity theft, stalking(尾随犯罪), etc. Many companies perform a background check on the Web before hiring an employee. If a potential employee has posted something embarrassing on social media, it can greatly affect their chances of getting the job. The same holds true for our relationships too, as our loved ones and friends may get to know if we post something undesirable on social networks.
Social media has its advantages and drawbacks as each coin has two sides. It is up to each user to use social sites wisely to improve their professional and social life, and exercise caution to ensure they do not fall victim to online dangers.
1.Paragraph 2 mainly shows that social networks .
A.benefit users in various ways B.offer professionals good chances
C.guide users to make right choices D.help students finish their homework
2.Faced with problems caused by social media, some companies .
A.take legal action against the attackers
B.avoid posting embarrassing information
C.refuse to hire potential addicted employees
D.forbid the use of social networks during work time
3.The main purpose of this passage is to .
A.remind people to wisely use social media B.provide some advice on social problems
C.raise public awareness of social problems D.share experiences in using social media
4.Which of the following shows the development of ideas in this passage?
I: Introduction P : Point Sp : Sub - point (次要点 ) C : Conclusion
A. B. C. D.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
University can be the most sociable time of your life. For most students, social media is the glue that holds packed social diaries together. Facebook will let you know if a game is cancelled, Twitter can promote your DJ set in 140 characters, and your Instagram account will remind you when there are new photos.
These tools have made the world increasingly connected, and most students wouldn’t consider shunning them at such a sociable stage of their lives. But social media is by no means a requirement at university, and many do without.
“I’m a private person and don’t feel the need to share everything with everybody I know,” says Caty Forster, 20, a student at the University of Manchester, who has never used Facebook or Twitter. Despite social media’s benefits, Forster is largely indifferent. Bethany Elgood, 25, stopped using Facebook after she discovered she had developed a bit of an anxiety towards the social media platforms that contain lots of personal details.”
I quit Facebook when I was 13. I left because, not only was I bored of passively involved in its Newsfeed, I was also experiencing anxiety. To me, Facebook meant clicking and nosing around people’s lives.
People would ask, “How do you keep in touch with people?” and “Won’t you miss out anything important?” I was in agreement with Forster, who says, “I never feel like I’m missing out too much. I don’t feel like I’d have anything valuable to share or gain from it.”
Adrienne Jolly, a careers advisor at UEA, says, “It’s hard to prove reliable statistics on social media. But it’s generally accepted that social media networks are pretty influential in this process—for better or worse.”
You might decide quitting social media isn’t practical in the long run. However, if its ugly side is bringing you down, why not consider taking leave? By doing so, I gained confidence and a strong connection with reality.
1.The author listed three kinds of social media to prove they _______.
A. are important for him and others like Caty
B. have the power to make students learn more
C. are frequently used by many university students
D. should be used by all of the students in universities
2.The underlined word“shunning”in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by “___________”
A. avoiding B. choosing
C. using D. adding
3.Why doesn’t Bethany use social media?
A. She hates to share everything with others.
B. She hopes her personal information is safe.
C. She buries herself in the busy studies every day.
D. She doesn’t care what has happened to her friends.
4.What is the attitude of Adrienne Jolly to using social media online?
A. She is completely against them. B. She herself refuses to use them.
C. She is completely for them. D. She is objective.
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Bob was a life insurance salesman. Try he might, he was still unable to get a couple to sign up for a policy. “I certainly don’t want to frighten you into a ” he announced, standing up to . How he be successful in his post?
People can be by many different means. Fear is the common one. many people find that other kinds of motivation are usually effective in getting more out of those with whom we live and work.
A twelve-year-old girl took her younger brother, who from a mental disability, Christmas shopping. As they went into a department store, the accidentally hit a display, knocking shoes in every . at that an angry clerk grabbed the boy by the arm and , “Pick them up.”
“No,” the boy screamed in defiance(反抗).
“Pick them up,” the clerk .
“No,” the boy shouted back.
His older sister began picking up the . Then the boy started to . Before long, the boy, his sister and the clerk were together to put the shoes in order.
When they finished, the girl taught the clerk a(n) lesson with these words: “You have to encourage my brother to do it in action.”
If you live or work with other people, you may benefit from the older sister’s advice. If you want people to respond to you, try encouraging them in action. People prefer . When you fill people with what they want, you’re to get what you want out of them.
1.A. however B. since C. as D. in spite of
2.A. trouble B. sale C. bargain D. decision
3.A. defend B. fight C. leave D. argue
4.A. could B. will C. shall D. may
5.A. motivated B. moved C. disappointed D. troubled
6.A. Thus B. But C. Plus D. Since
7.A. less B. more C. half D. just
8.A. arose B. contributed C. benefited D. suffered
9.A. boy B. girl C. clerk D. salesman
10.A. section B. direction C. shelf D. course
11.A. occasion B. stage C. situation D. point
12.A. demanded B. conflicted C. reminded D. arranged
13.A. expected B. commented C. shouted D. acquired
14.A. shoes B. books C. toys D. bottles
15.A. cry B. help C. complain D. worry
16.A. walking B. organizing C. working D. assisting
17.A. back B. up C. before D. on
18.A. thoughtful B. instant C. cautious D. complex
19.A. gift B. stick C. honey D. tears
20.A. positive B. likely C. confident D. probable
高二英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
With a big family ________, the couple are living a hard life.
A. to be supported B. to support C. supported D. supporting
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
______ to the climate here, the old couple would rather live here for the rest of their life _____move to another city.
A.Having accustomed; than | B.Accustomed; than |
C.Accustom; rather than | D.Accustoming; rather than |
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Guide dogs are going to be available for the children who are unable to see normally in the UK for the first time, as the age limit is to be removed. The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association is to begin training dogs to help blind people under the age of 16.
The association says too many youngsters with impaired eyesight are lacking in independence. They have only a limited social life because of their disability. Giving some of them guide dogs at a younger age is intended to help them to widen their range of activities and to improve their sense of self-confidence and independence. Guide dogs for these teenagers will begin to be provided from next year. There has been an experimental project to test the use of guide dogs with younger people.
Charlotte, aged 14, was among the youngest guide dog owners. She had been gradually losing her eyesight since the age of eight, and lost her eyesight completely this year. She has been assisted by a two-year-old guide dog. Charlotte used to have a long stick to help her move around, but having a guide dog allows her much more freedom and makes her feel safer.
However, the association says there is a worryingly patchy supply of services for the young blind people across the UK, and it calls for a sharp increase in the number of guide dogs all over the country. As with adult blind people, only a small number of them are likely to be considered suitable for a guide dog. Most will continue to rely on extra help and training from education and social services.
1.What can we learn about guide dogs from the text?
A. They have been provided for teenagers in the UK.
B. They are beneficial to blind children’s development.
C. They became possible in the UK recently.
D. They are quite popular in the UK.
2.What does Charlotte’s example tell us?
A. It is necessary to carry out the experimental project.
B. Guide dogs can get along well with disabled people.
C. The association’s opinion is not quite right.
D. Youngsters need companions and friends.
3.What does the underlined word “patchy” in the last paragraph probably mean?
A. Endless. B. Perfect. C. Inadequate. D. Diverse.
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A. Blind people need guide dogs’ assistance in their daily life.
B. Age limit for the blind to have guide dogs is to be removed.
C. More guide dogs will be trained in the UK.
D. The project of using guide dogs is to begin.
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Guide dogs are going to be available for the children who are unable to see normally in the UK for the first time, as the age limit is to be removed. The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association is to begin training dogs to help blind people under the age of 16.
The association says too many youngsters with impaired eyesight are lacking in independence. They have only a limited social life because of their disability. Giving some of them guide dogs at a younger age is intended to help them to widen their range of activities and to improve their sense of self-confidence and independence. Guide dogs for these teenagers will begin to be provided from next year. There has been an experimental project to test the use of guide dogs with younger people.
Charlotte, aged 14, was among the youngest guide dog owners. She had been gradually losing her eyesight since the age of eight, and lost her eyesight completely this year. She has been assisted by a two-year-old guide dog. Charlotte used to have a long stick to help her move around, but having a guide dog allows her much more freedom and makes her feel safer.
However, the association says there is a worryingly patchy supply of services for the young blind people across the UK, and it calls for national standards to be introduced. As with adult blind people, only a small number of them are likely to be considered suitable for a guide dog. Most will continue to rely on extra help and training from education and social services.
1. We can learn from the text that owning guide dogs .
A. may meet with difficulties sometimes
B. is beneficial to blind children’s development
C. became possible in the UK recently
D. is quite universal in the UK
2.According to the text, Charlotte’s example proves that .
A. it is necessary to carry out the experimental project
B. guide dogs can get along well with disabled people
C. the association’s opinion is not quite right
D. youngsters need companions and friends
3.What does the underlined word “patchy” in the last paragraph probably mean?
A. Endless. B. Perfect.
C. Inadequate. D. Diverse.
4. What is the main idea of the text?
A. Blind people need guide dogs’ assistance in their daily life.
B. Age limit for the blind to have guide dogs is to be removed.
C. More guide dogs will be trained in the UK.
D. The project of using guide dogs is to begin.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析