Is There Life on EarthThere was great excitem...

Is There Life on Earth

There was great excitement on the planet of Venus this week. For the first time Venusian scientists managed to land a satellite on the planet Earth, and it has been sending back signals as well as photographs ever since.

The satellite was directed into an area known as Manhattan(named after the great Venusian astronomer Prof. Manhattan, who first discovered it with his telescope 20,000 light years ago). Because of excellent weather conditions and extremely strong signals, Venusian scientists were able to get valuable information as to the feasibility(可行性)of a manned flying saucer(飞碟)landing on Earth. A press conference was held at the Venus Institute of Technology.

“We have come to the conclusion, based on last week’s satellite landing,” Pro. Zog said, “that there is no life on the Earth.”

“How do you know this?” the science reporter of the Venus Evening Star asked.

“For on thing, Earth’s surface in the area of Manhattan is composed of solid concrete and nothing can grow there. For another, the atmosphere is filled with carbon monoxide and other deadly gases and nobody could possibly breathe this air and survive.”

“What does this mean as far as our flying saucer program is concerned?”

“We shall have to take our own oxygen with us, which means heavier flying saucer than we originally planned.”

“Are there any other risks that you discovered in your studies?”

“Take a look at his photo. You see this dark black cloud floating over the surface of Earth?” We call this the Consolidated Edison Belt. We don’t know what it is made of, but it could give us a lot of trouble and we shall have to make further tests before we send a Venus Being there.”

“If what you say is true, won’t this set back the flying saucer program several years?”

“Yes, but we shall proceed as soon as the Grubstart gives us the added funds.”

“Pro. Zog, why are we spending billions and billions of zilches to land a flying saucer on Earth when there is no life there?

“Because if we Venusians can learn to breathe in an Earth atmosphere, then. We can live anywhere.”

1.The Venusians were excited this week because they __________.

A. landed a satellite with Venus astronauts on Earth

B. made a first-rate flying saucer

C. got an Earth Being to Venus

D. directed a satellite into Earth

2.According to Pro. Zong, why will the Venusians have to take their own oxygen with them?

A. Because they need it on their way to the planet of Earth

B. Because the Earth’s atmosphere is filled with deadly gases

C. Because deadly gases is far from enough on Earth

D. Because there is no air on the planet of Earth

3.The “dark black cloud” in the photograph refers to _________.

A. the polluted air floating over the surface of Earth

B. the mass of tiny drops of water floating above Earth

C. the concrete that is unknown to everywhere

D. the dark clouds gathering before a storm breaks

4.What’s the purpose of the writer?

A. to arouse the awareness of protecting the earth

B. to introduce a Venusians’ science program

C. to tell us the serious pollution of the Venus

D. to tell us an exciting Venusians’ exploration

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Is There Life on Earth?

There was great excitement on the planet of Venus(金星) this week. For the first time Venusian scientists managed to land a satellite on the planet Earth, and it has been sending back signals as well as photographs ever since.

The satellite was directed into an area known as Manhattan (named after the great Venusian astronomer Prof. Manhattan, who first discovered it with his telescope 20,000 light years ago).

Because of excellent weather conditions and extremely strong signals, Venusian

scientists were able to get valuable information as to feasibility (可行性) of a manned flying saucer (碟) landing on Earth. A press conference was held at the Venus Institute of Technology.

“We have come to the conclusion, based on last week’s satellite landing,” Prof. Zog said, “that there is no life on Earth.”

“How do you know this?” the science reporter of the Venus Evening Star asked.

“For one thing, Earth’s surface in the area of Manhattan is made up of solid concrete and nothing can grow there. For another, the atmosphere is filled with carbon monoxide (一氧化碳) and other deadly gases and nobody could possibly breathe the air and survive.”

“What does this mean as far as our flying saucer program is concerned?”

“We shall have to take our own oxygen with us, which means a much heavier flying saucer than originally planned.”

“Are there any other dangers that you discovered in your studies?”

“Take a look at this photo. You see this dark black cloud hovering(盘旋) over the surface of Earth? We call this the Consolidated Edison Belt. We don’t know what it is made of, but it could give us a lot of trouble and we shall have to make further tests before we send a Venus Being there.”

“Over here you will notice what seems to be a river, but the satellite findings indicate it is polluted and the water is unfit to drink. This means we shall have to carry our own water, which will add even greater weight to the saucer.”

“Sir, what are all those tiny black spots on the photographs?”

“We are not certain. They seem to be metal particles(粒子) that move along certain paths. They emit gases, make noise and keep crashing into each other. There are so many of these paths and so many metal particles that it is impossible to land a flying saucer without its being smashed by one”.

“What are those stalagmite(石笋) projections sticking up?”

“They are some of granite formations that give off light at night. Prof. Glom has named them skyscrapers since they seem to be scraping the skies. ”

“If all you say is true, won’t this set back the flying saucer program several years?”

“Yes, but we shall continue as soon as the Grubstart gives us the added funds.”

Prof. Zog, why are we spending billions and billions of zilches to land a flying saucer on Earth when there is no life there?

“Because if we Venusians can learn to breathe in an Earth atmosphere, then we can live anywhere.”

1.According to Prof. Zog, the Venusians will have to take their own oxygen with them when they carry out their flying saucer program because ________.

A. they need it on their way to the planet of earth

B. the earth’s atmosphere is filled with deadly gases

C. oxygen is far from enough in the area of Manhattan

D. there is no air on the planet of Earth

2.The “dark black cloud” in the 10th paragraph indicates ________.

A. the polluted air hovering over the surface of Earth

B. the mass of tiny drops of water floating above Earth

C. the mass of small things moving through the air

D. the dark clouds gathering before a storm breaks

3.The author wishes to call our attention to the fact that ________.

A. modern man has polluted his environment to such an extent that he may destroy himself if he carries on like this

B. there is no point in spending billions and billions of zilches to land a flying saucer on Earth

C. pollution has become so serious a problem on Earth that even Venusians find life there unbearable

D. it is difficult, if not altogether impossible, to land a manned flying saucer on Earth

4.The tone of this essay is ________.

A. hopeless and objective

B. serious and critical (批评的)

C. humorous and satirical (讽刺的)

D. sensitive and subjective

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

There was great excitement on the planet of Venus (金星) this week. For the first time Venusian scientists managed to land a satellite on the planet Earth, and it has been sending back signals as well as photographs.

The satellite was directed into an area known as Manhattan (曼哈顿). Because of excellent weather conditions and extremely strong signals, Venusian scientists were able to get valuable information about the feasibility of a manned flying saucer (飞碟) landing on Earth. A press conference was held at the Venus Institute of Technology.

“We have come to the conclusion, based on last week's satellite landing,” Professor Zog said, “that there is no life on Earth."

“How do you know this?” the science reporter of the Venus Evening News asked.

"For one thing, Earth's surface in the area of Manhattan consists of solid concrete (混泥土) and nothing can grow there. For another, the atmosphere is filled with carbon monoxide (一氧化碳) and other deadly gases and nobody could possibly breathe this air and survive.”

“Are there any other sources of danger that you have discovered in your studies?”

“Take a look at this photo. You see this dark black cloud staying over the surface of Earth? We don't know what it is made of, but it could give us a lot of trouble and we shall have to make further tests before we send a Venus Being there. Over here you will notice what seems to be a river, but the satellite findings indicates it is polluted and the water is unfit to drink.”

“Sir, what are all those tiny black spots on the photographs?”

“We’re not certain. They seem to be metal objects that moves along certain roads. They give out gases, make noise and keep crashing into each other.”

“Professor Zog, why are we spending billions and billions of Zilches to land a flying saucer on Earth when there is no life there?”

“Because if we Venusians can learn to breathe in the Earth atmosphere, then we can live anywhere.”

1.What does the underlined word “feasibility” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A. possibility　　 B. ability　　 C. simplicity　　 D. responsibility

2.What problems on the earth was not mentioned by the author?

A. Air pollution.

B. Water pollution.

C. Heavy traffic.

D. Over population.

3.Why did the author write the passage?

A. To tell us a dream of Venusian scientists.

B. To show the secret of life on other planets.

C. To persuade people to try living on the earth.

D. To remind people on the earth of some problems.

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Once upon a time, there was a wonderful old man who loved everything on the land —— animals and plants.

One day while walking through the woods, the old man found a cocoon of a butterfly. He took it home. A few days later, a small opening appeared; he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and cut the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then came out easily.

But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, or they would be smaller. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled （枯萎）wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and hurry did not understand was that the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening was nature’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were allowed to go through our life without any difficulties, it would cripple (无能) us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. And we could never fly.

1.The old man cut the cocoon in order to ____.

A. kill the butterfly

B. play with the butterfly

C. make the butterfly come out easily

D. have the butterfly

2.The reason why the butterfly could not fly is that _____.

A. the old man broke its wings

B. it was too small

C. newly born butterflies can’t fly

D. it came out of its cocoon without enough struggle

3.What can we know from the passage?

A. That old man was fond of everything except the butterfly.

B. It was the old man that stopped the butterfly flying.

C. The old man realized his mistake.

D. It’s not hard for the butterfly to come out of the cocoon.

4.What does the author want to tell us by writing the passage?

A .We should help others.

B. Without others' help we can still succeed.

C. Struggles in our life can make us stronger.

D. Butterflies can fly without people’s help.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

There have been many great inventions that changed the way we live. The first great invention was one that is still very important today—the wheel. This made it easier to carry heavy things and to travel long distances. For hundreds of years after that there were few inventions that had as much effect as the wheel. Then in the early 1800’s the world started to change. There was little unknown land left in the world. People did not have to explore much anymore. They began to work instead to make life better. In the second half of the 19th century many great inventions were made. Among them were the camera, the electric light and the radio. These all became a big part of our life today.

The first part of the 20th century saw more great inventions. The helicopter in 1909. Movies with sound in 1926. The computer in 1928. And jet planes in 1930. This was also a time when a new material was first made. Nylon came out in 1935. It changed the kind of clothes people wear. The middle part of the 20th century brought new ways to help people get over disease. They worked very well. They made people healthier and let them live longer lives. By the 1960’s most people could expect to live to be at least 60. By this time most people had a very good life.

Of course new inventions continued to be made. But man now had a desire to explore again. The world was known to man but the stars were not. Man began looking for ways to go into space. Russia made the first step. Then the United States took a step. Since then other countries, including China and Japan, have made their steps into space. In 1969 man took his biggest step away from the earth. Americans first walked on the moon. This is certainly just a beginning, though.

New inventions will someday allow us to do things we have never yet dreamed of.

1.Why did the world start to change in the early 1800’s?

A.Because there were few inventions that had as much effect as the wheel for hundreds of years.

B.Because people began to work to make life better instead of exploring unknown world.

C.Because there was little unknown land left in the world.

D.Because people did not have to explore much anymore.

2.In Paragraph 2, the word “They” in the sentence “They worked very well” refers to ________.

A.helicopters, computers, jet planes, nylon B.new materials

C.new ways to help people get over disease D.people

3.Why did man have a desire to explore again?

A.Going into space is a dream for man to realize.

B.Man wanted to move to other stars.

C.Other countries wanted to follow Russia.

D.Other countries wanted to catch up with America.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Life on earth depends on water, and there is no substitute for it. The current assumption is that our basic needs for water—whether for drinking, agriculture, industry or the raising of fish—will always have to be met. Given this premise (前提), there are two basic routes we can go; more equal access to water or better engineering solutions.

Look at the engineering solutions first. A lot of my research concentrates on what happens to wetlands when you build dams in river basins, particularly in Africa. The ecology of such areas is almost entirely driven by the seasonal changes of the river—the pulse of the water. And the fact is that if you build a dam, you generally spoil the downstream ecology. In the past, such problems have been hidden by a lack of information. But in the near future, governments will have no excuses for their ignorance.

The engineers’ ability to control water flows has created new kinds of unpredictability, too. Dams in Africa have meant fewer fish, less grazing and less floodplain (洪泛区) agriculture, none of which were expected. And there average economic life is assumed to be thirty years. Dams don’t exist forever, but what will replace them is not clear.

The challenge for the future is to find new means of controlling water. Although GM technology(转基因) will allow us to breed better dry-land crops, there is no market for companies to develop crops suitable for the micro-climates of the Sahel and elsewhere in Africa. Who is going to pay for research on locally appropriate crops in the Third World?

1.What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．The engineering solutions to water resource and their limitation.

B．The challenge for the future.

C．The basic means of controlling water.

D．The challenge for developing crops.

2.The author suggests that governments will have no excuse for their careless ignorance in the future because _____.

A．The ecological destruction will be known to the public by researchers

B．The ecological destruction will no longer be a problem in the future

C．The future is an information age

D．Governments will face greater challenge in the future

3.Which of the following statements is NOT true for meeting our basic needs for water?

A．Water resource should be used more reasonably.

B．More dams should be built in river basins.

C．More wetlands should be protected from destruction.

D．More dry-land crops could be developed in Africa.

4.The last sentence probably implies that _____.

A．No one will invest in developing locally appropriate crops in Africa

B．Researchers have no interest in developing dry-land crops

C．Research on locally appropriate crops in the Third World may be profitable

D．There is less water resource in the Third World

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Here is some news of the future.

March 20,2035

There was a lot of news around the life extension drugs that hit the market a decade ago.They didn’t promise that you would live forever,but they gave you a chance to extend your life an extra five to ten years.Even though the life expectancy rate at birth has increased greatly,the life expectancy for seniors hasn’t improved that much.Basically,you have a greater chance to become a senior,but you will not have a much longer lifespan,and this is where the anti-aging drugs intend to kick in.So,do the anti-aging drugs work?Well,it is too early to tell.But the sales so far are very good.

April 19,2035

Of the total US population of 378 million,people over 65 years old now make up 20% for the first time.The senior ratio was only 4.1% by the year 1900,and 12.4% 30 years ago.The number of people above 65 compared to those of what is considered working ages,between 15 and 64,is currently 33.7%.This is up from 18.5% in the year 2005,which means that for every retired person there are now two workers,compared to four workers 30 years ago.The number of people above the age of 80 has grown to 23.8 million,making them 6.3% of the total population compared to 3.6% in 2005.

April 12,2040

Although introduced in the market only five years ago,10% of all hydrogen fuel now sold in the US is of the environmentally friendly Re-Hydro label,produced through electrolysis(电解)based on a source of 100% renewable energy.Several producers have turned to producing Re-Hydro,mainly because of lower tax,which also keeps the price of Re-Hydro on the same level as regular hydrogen.Most analysts believe that Re-Hydro will be the dominating fuel in the future.

1.According to News 1 we know that the life extension drugs　　.

A.were first sold in the year 2025

B.were made to make people live forever

C.should be taken when people are young

D.have greatly increased the life expectancy rate at birth

2.The sales of the life extension drugs so far clearly show that　　.

A.people have no faith in them B.people want to give them a try

C.they work very well for seniors D.they have no effect on people’s health

3.What can we learn from News 2?

A.Many Americans will find it hard to find a job.

B.It’s very hard for seniors to pass the age of 80.

C.The US population has been increasing rapidly since 2005.

D.The American population has been aging rapidly since 2005.

4.What can we infer from News 3?

A.Re-Hydro will not be widely used in the future.

B.The government encourages production of Re-Hydro.

C.Producers are not interested in producing Re-Hydro.

D.Re-Hydro is more expensive than regular hydrogen.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Here is some news of the future.

March 20, 2035

There was a lot of news around the life extension drugs that hit the market a decade ago. They didn't promise that you would like forever, but they gave you a chance to extend your life an extra five to ten years. Even though the life expectancy rate at birth has increased greatly, the life expectancy for seniors hasn't improved that much. Basically, you have a greater chance to become a senior, but you will not have a much longer lifespan, and this is where the anti-aging drugs intend to kick in. So, do the anti-aging drugs work? Well，it is too early to tell. But the sales so far are very good.

April 19, 2035

Of the total US population of 378 million, people over 65 years of age now make up 20% for the first time. The senior ratio of only 4.1% by year 1900, and 12.4% 30 years ago.

The number of people above 65 compared to those of what is considered working ages, between 15 and 64, is currently 33.7%. This is up from 18.5% since year 2005, which means that for every retired person there are now two workers, compared to four workers 30 years ago. The number of people above the age of 80 has grown to 23.8 million, making them 6.3% of the total population compared to 3.6% in 2005.

April 12, 2040

Although introduced in the market only five years ago, 10% of all hydrogen fuel now sold in the US is of the environmentally friendly Re-Hydro label, produced through eletrolysis(电解) based on a source of 100% renewable energy. Several producers have turned to producing Re-Hydro, mainly because of lower tax, which also keeps the price of Re-Hydro on the same level as regular hydrogen. Most analysts believe that Re-Hydro will be the dominating fuel in the future.

1.According to News 1 we know that the life extension drugs ____.

A．were first sold in the year 2025.

B．are made to make people live forever.

C．should be taken when people are young.

D．have greatly increased the life expectancy rate at birth.

2.The sales of the life extension drugs so far clearly show that_____.

A．people have no faith in them

B．people want to give them a try

C．they work very well for seniors

D．they have no effect on people’s health

3.What can we learn from News 2?

A．Many Americans will find it hard to find a job.

B．It’s very hard for seniors to pass the age of 80.

C．The US population has been increasing rapidly since 2005.

D．The US population has been aging rapidly since 2005.

4.We can know from the passage that the fuel of the Re-Hydro label is ______.

A．expensive         B．cheap            C．green            D．dangerous

5.What can we infer from News 3?

A．Re-Hydro will be widely used in the future.

B．The government discourages the production of Re-Hydro.

C．Producers are not interested in producing Re-Hydro.

D．Re-Hydro is more expensive than regular hydrogen.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

There is one word that is often on the lips of Americans: “ Sorry”.

Once as I was walking, a young man ran by______, brushing against my handbag. Even as he _______on his way, he turned back and said “ sorry” to me. Even in a rush, he didn’t forget to apologize. One day,　 after I bought a mango, the salesman was giving me the _______, but I wasn’t ready for it and a coin ________ to the ground. “ I’m sorry,” he said while bending down to pick it up. I was _______why would he apologize when it is my _______ ?

____ time, I stepped on a man’s foot in an elevator, and at the same time, we both said “ sorry”.　 I thought it interesting --- was it really_______ for him to apologize? Later on, an American friend _______ to me that according to the American mentality, the elevator is a ______place, and everyone should be able to stand in it. After someone ________ a position in it, making it difficult for someone else to find a place to stand, isn’t it necessary to express an_______?

If you go to the movies and the tickets happen to be_______, the ticket seller will say, “Sorry.” Whenever one of your hopes goes_______, an American will say “ sorry” as a sign of_________

During my stay in America, I gradually _______ that when friction (摩擦) appears in daily life, Americans don’t care much about who is________; If someone is_______, a “sorry” is always necessary. When this happens, even if the other person is hurt, the “sorry”________ anger and human kindness is shown. Perhaps this is why I ________ saw anyone quarreling on the buses, subways or streets of America.

1.A. worriedly　　 B. slowly　　 C. cautiously　　 D. hurriedly

2.A. continued　　 B. blocked　　 C. pushed　　 D. forced

3.A. bargain　　 B. change　　 C. profit　　 D. product

4.A. lay　　 B. tied　　 C. dropped　　 D. attached

5.A. delighted　　 B. annoyed　　 C. puzzled　　 D. injured

6.A. fault　　 B. duty　　 C. turn　　 D. debt

7.A. Another　　 B. Other　　 C. Some　　 D. Any

8.A. useful　　 B. necessary　　 C. difficult　　 D. easy

9.A. complained.　　 B. announced　　 C. explained　　 D. appealed

10.A. private　　 B. public　　 C. painful　　 D. noisy

11.A. holds　　 B. books　　 C. removes　　 D. occupies

12.A. explanation　　 B. apology　　 C. attitude　　 D. argument

13.A. sold out　　 B. dropped out　　 C. broken out　　 D. hung out

14.A. disappointed　　 B. mistaken　　 C. true　　 D. unrealized

15.A. encouragement　　 B. concern　　 C. pity　　 D. respect

16.A. understood　　 B. imagined　　 C. remembered　　 D. guessed

17.A. legal　　 B. wrong　　 C. fair　　 D. honest

18.A. troubled　　 B. blamed　　 C. forgiven　　 D. replaced

19.A. controls　　 B. protects　　 C. defends　　 D. cools

20.A. always　　 B. sometimes　　 C. never　　 D. often

高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

完形填空

There is one word that is on the lips of Americans, day and night, “Sorry”.

Once as I was walking on the street, a young man ran by ________, brushing against my handbag. ________ he continued on his way, he ________ back and said “sorry” to me. Even in a rush, he didn’t forget to apologize.

One day, after I bought some apples, the salesman was giving me the change, ________ I wasn’t ready for it, and ________ dropped on the ground, “I’m sorry,” he said while bending down to pick it up. I was ________—why would he apologize when it was my ________?

Another time, I ________ on a man’s foot in an escalator (电梯）. At the same time , we both said “sorry”. I thought it ________ at first: was it really ________ for him apologize?

Later on, an American friend ________ to me that according to the American ________, the escalator is a(n) ________ place which everyone should be able to stand in. After someone occupies(占据）a position in the escalator, making it ________ for someone else to find a place to stand in, isn’t it necessary to ________ an apology?

During my stay in America, I gradually ________ that when friction (摩擦) occurs in daily life, Americans don’t care much about who is ________. If someone is ________, a “sorry” is always necessary. Even if the other person is hurt, the “sorry” would ________ tempers（脾气）. Perhaps this is ________ I never saw anyone quarreling on the buses, subways or streets in America.

1.A. excitedly        B. hurriedly        C. happily        D. fast

2.A. Though            B. After            C. Even as        D. Even if

3.A. stopped            B. held                C. watched        D. turned

4.A. or                B. and                C. but            D. so

5.A. a coin            B. the apples        C. The wallet    D. a bill

6.A. impressed        B. moved            C. annoyed        D. puzzled

7.A. problem            B. matter            C. fault        D. business

8.A. moved            B. stepped            C. walked        D. knocked

9.A. interesting        B. acceptable        C. exciting        D. reasonable

10.A. polite            B. important        C. surprising    D. necessary

11.A. announced        B. explained        C. suggested    D. admitted

12.A. ideas            B. rules            C. opinions        D. senses

13.A. open            B. common            C. public        D. free

14.A. unfit            B. impossible        C. narrow        D. difficult

15.A. express        B. speak            C. say            D. tell

16.A. realized        B. remembered        C. recognized    D. meant

17.A. mistaken        B. responsible        C. careless        D. correct

18.A. nervous        B. sick                C. worried        D. troubled

19.A. reduce            B. cool                C. lose            D. change

20.A. that            B. when                C. why            D. how

高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析