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“Mom, what is that?” asked my son. “The Bride of Chucky?”
The old doll I was holding was pretty scary. Her glass eyes were especially horrible, closing when she stood upright and flying open when she lay flat. Once she had been loved, but she had been stored in an attic (阁楼) for decades, where the extremes of heat and cold can be hard on a girl’s looks. Throw her in the waste bin? Maybe. But first, let’s check eBay.
I clicked, supplied the required information about condition, including defects (i.e., “Only a miracle could save this doll”), and uploaded its photos. I sold it for $5.
The buyer was happy: “As described!” he wrote on my feedback page. “Super seller!” The doll found a home and, I hope, a new life. Maybe she was used to repair other dolls. Perhaps those strange eyes got fixed and once again can inspire a child’s love. It’s a win-win, if you ask me.
I also sold lots of other stuff. None of them brought in a lot of money, though I have been surprised at the occasional bidding war, like, for example, the one over an old swimsuit that would have made Brigitte Bardot look bad. And some customers, let’s face it, are strange. Recently I had a hard time convincing an Australian would-be buyer of an Irish souvenir bell that I don’t shop internationally; it’s just too much trouble. He could have flown to Ireland and bought his own bell for the price he was willing to pay. Another time, a buyer complained that the electric wire on an old radio was dirty. Really? Dirty? The wire was black. But I aim to please, so I offered a refund.
So why bother with the dealing and small profits? Because I don’t like abandoning the past. All these treasures once had stories. They meant something. But the people who gave them that meaning are gone, and I simply cannot rescue everything. I can’t even sew. So I find it satisfying that a new owner, discovered via eBay, will continue the story in his or her own way.
1.What was the doll like?
A. It was lovely.
B. It was beautiful.
C. It looked frightening.
D. It was pretty ordinary.
2.Which can best replace the underlined word “defects” in Paragraph 3?
A. Faults.
B. Virtues.
C. Pictures.
D. Requirements.
3.Why did the author refuse to sell the Australian the bell?
A. She thought he was strange.
B. His bid was not high enough.
C. Someone else had already bought it.
D. Delivering it to him was troublesome.
4.After receiving the complaint about the radio, the author ______.
A. felt deeply sorry
B. explained patiently
C. returned the money
D. apologized immediately
5.Why does the author sell used stuff via eBay?
A. She needs money badly.
B. She is an environmentalist.
C. She is interested in marketing.
D. She wants their stories to be continued.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
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“Mom, I don’ t like you,” my two-year-old son said.
“Okay...is that ______ you love me?” I asked.
“No, you’ re not lovely.”
That night, as I washed my face, I ______ a little longer in the mirror—not because I was hurt by his ______, but because I noticed there was no light in my ______.
I took out a pen and started writing a list—a list to ______ myself; a list to put sparkle（火花）back into my eyes. I once made many lists but ______ accomplished anything. This time would be ______!
The first goal on my list I wanted to achieve was ______ a Polar Plunge to raise money for the Special Olympics. On that day, when I ______ into my 1980s workout clothes, Jack smiled, “Mom, you look ______.” Maybe, just maybe some light ______ my eyes.
When coming out of the cold lake I felt happy and proud. I kept screaming, “I ______ it !” But one of the most exciting parts of the day was when I stood in front of my ______, which was taped on the refrigerator door. I ______ item number one. With that, I began to take back my life.
Everyone taking part in the Polar Plunge received a ______. Whenever I wore it, Jack asked, “Is that your Polar Plunge clothing?” I answered ______, “Yes!” “I want to do that too.” I was happy he remembered I jumped into a ______ lake, and that he wanted to do activities with me.
With each ______ crossed off（划掉） the list, a piece of myself is ______. Not only am I showing my family it’ s important to ______, but I’ m showing myself that I’ m worth it.
1.A. how B. where C. whether D. because
2.A. washed B. looked C. stayed D. felt
3.A. behavior B. statement C. question D. rudeness
4.A. face B. life C. eyes D. thoughts
5.A. defeat B. save C. explain D. teach
6.A. seldom B. always C. yet D. almost
7.A. complete B. similar C. unforgettable D. different
8.A. learning from B. setting up C. looking into D. participating in
9.A. jumped B. changed C. ran D. burst
10.A. nervous B. calm C. pretty D. cold
11.A. slid away B. approached to C. got out of D. came back to
12.A. did B. got C. missed D. appreciated
13.A. mirror B. son C. list D. photo
14.A. ticked B. added C. built D. enlarged
15.A. souvenir B. medal C. cap D. shirt
16.A. patiently B. embarrassingly C. proudly D. unwillingly
17.A. huge B. freezing C. beautiful D. deep
18.A. letter B. date C. name D. goal
19.A. returning B. disappearing C. united D. cured
20.A. work B. dream C. learn D. share
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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My mother used to ask me what is the most important part of the body. Through the years I would __36__ what I thought was the correct answer. When I was younger, I thought __37__ was very important to us as humans, so I said, "My ears, Mommy." She said, "No. Many people are __38__. But you keep thinking about it and I will ask you again soon."
Several years passed __39__ she asked me again. Since making my first __40__, I had often thought of the correct answer. So this time I told her, "Mommy, sight is very important to everybody, so it must be our eyes." She looked at me and told me, "You are __41__ fast, but the answer is not correct because there are many people who are blind."
__42__ the years, Mother asked me a couple more __43__ and always her answer was, "No, but you are getting __44__ every year, my child." Then last year, my Grandpa died. Everybody was heart broken. Everybody was crying. My Mom looked at me when it was our __45__ to say our final good-bye to Grandpa. She asked me, "Do you know the most important body part yet, my dear?"
I was __46__ when she asked me this now. I always thought this was a __47__ between her and me. She saw the __48__ on my face and told me, "This question is very important. It shows that you have really __49__ your life." I saw her eyes well up with tears. She said, "My dear, the most important body part is your __50__." I asked, "Is it because it holds up your head?" She replied, "No, it is __51__ on them a crying friend or loved one can rest their head. I only hope that you have enough __52__ and friends that you will have a shoulder to cry __53__ when you need it." Then and there I knew the most important body part is not a __54__ one. It is sympathetic to the pain of __55__.
1.A. notice B. believe in C. doubt D. guess at
2.A. love B. health C. sound D. sight
3.A. blind B. deaf C. invisible D. thoughtful
4.A. while B. once C. after D. before
5.A. discovery B. decision C. attempt D. suggestion
6.A. learning B. thinking C. growing D. changing
7.A. Before B. Till C. Beyond D. Over
8.A. ways B. things C. questions D. times
9.A. stronger B. taller C. smarter D. nicer
10.A. duty B. turn C. pity D. chance
11.A. shocked B. satisfied C. interested D. excited
12.A. game B. test C. match D. secret
13.A. worry B. puzzlement C. regret D. pain
14.A. enjoyed B. found C. disliked D. lived
15.A. shoulders B. feet C. hands D. hair
16.A. how B. because C. why D. whether
17.A. respect B. favor C. love D. fun
18.A. by B. on C. above D. for
19.A. valuable B. useful C. selfish D. precious
20.A. others B. the deaf C. Grandpa D. the blind
高三英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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If you ask me when I became a mom, I can tell you that the day I became a mom was not the day my daughter was born, but seven years later when I did the best thing I could do for my daughter and myself. I us from the home that wasn’t really a home at all.
That day, my daughter and I were sitting in our home having a quiet dinner just as I had always wanted for her. We were talking about what she had done in school and suddenly her little hand the full glass of milk by her plate. As I watched the white tablecloth and painted white wall become dark brown, I looked at her small face. It was filled with , knowing what the outcome of the event would have meant in her father’s a week before. When I saw that look on he
r face and looked at the running down the wall, I simply started . I am sure she thought I was , but then she must have realized that I was thinking, “It’s a good thing your isn’t here!” She started laughing with me, and we laughed until we . These were tears of joy and and were the first of many tears that we cried together. That was the day we knew that we were going to be okay.That was the day I really became a mom. I that being a mom isn’t only going to ballet, and attending every school concert. It isn’t keeping a(n) house and preparing perfect meals. It certainly isn’t that things are always normal when they are not. For me, being a mom started when I could laugh over spilt milk.
1.A. protected B. removed C. separated D. prevented
2.A. new B. old C. beautiful D. cold
3.A. went over B. picked up C. took on D. knocked over
4.A. firmly B. carelessly C. slowly D. freshly
5.A. pleasure B. fear C. pain D. smile
6.A. absence B. patience C. presence D. arrival
7.A. jam B. juice C. milk D. water
8.A. laughing B. shouting C. scolding D. praying
9.A. sad B. excited C. sick D. crazy
10.A. friend B. father C. grandma D. brother
11.A. cried B. fainted C. slept D. stopped
12.A. bravery B. horror C. surprise D. peace
13.A. questioned B. discovered C. wondered D. remembered
14.A. splendid B. messy C. spotless D. lifeless
15.A. describing B. pretending C. creating D. meaning
高三英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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I was 11 years old when asked my mom for piano lessons in 2010. We were in the fallout of the recession(经济衰退). She said a polite "no".
That didn't stop me. I Googled the measurements for a keyboard, drew the keys on a piece of paper and stuck it on my desk. I would click notes on an online keyboard and “play” them back on my paper one - keeping the sound they made on the computer in my head. I spent six months playing without touching a real piano. Once my mom saw that I was serious, she borrowed money and bought me 10 lessons.
I still remember the first one. I was struck by how real the sound of the piano was. I sat my grade one after eight lessons. Once I started secondary school, we couldn't afford lessons again. I passed grade three, then grade five, practicing only on my piece of paper.
One evening, When I was about 13, my mom said she had a surprise for me; it was an electronic keyboard, bought with more borrowed money. It was the first time I'd played for her. She was in shock.
My school didn't offer music A-level. I found the Purcell School for young musicians. The tryouts(选拔) were difficult. Some of the questions involved an estimation (评价) of the composer(作曲家) or when it was written. I felt overwhelmed. To my amazement I was offered a place.
At Purcell, I spent two years working as hard as I could. I performed to raise money and saved enough to buy my first piano.
When I left Purcell, I was awarded the senior piano prize and senior academic music prize. I am now at the Guildhall School in London. I feel proud: it's been 10 years since I drew my paper piano, and I'm at one of the world's leading music schools.
The irony is that I continue to do a lot of my practice away from the piano: What we call mental practice. The paper piano helped spark my curiosity about how music works, the building blocks that form the pieces.
1.Why did the author's mom buy him lessons at last?
A.She suddenly made a fortune.
B.She realized he meant what he said,
C.She had no doubt of his talent for piano.
D.She was shocked by his first performance.
2.Which of the following can best describe the author?
A.Honest. B.Humorous.
C.Determined. D.Rebellious.
3.The word “irony” in the last paragraph shows that the author was .
A.surprised B.proud
C.satisfied D.curious
4.What's the author's main purpose of writing this article?
A.To introduce the method of mental practice.
B.To encourage people to stick to their dreams.
C.To describe how costly it is to learn an instrument.
D.To share how he convinced his mom to buy a piano.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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“Mom, I have cancer.” These four words catapulted my son and me on a journey that lasted two years. On that day I felt a wave of paralyzing fear.
Scott was the oldest of my four children. He was 33 years old and a successful assistant principal at SamRayburn Hifht School in Pasadena, Texas. He and his wife Carolyn were busy raising four active children. Scott was 6’2’’, weighed 200 pounds and had never been sick a day in his life.
A few month earlier a mole（痣）on his neck had changed color. “Dr.Warner called,” Scott said that spring morning. “It’s melanoma.（黑素瘤）” I tried to comfort him, naming all the people I knew who had survived skin cancer. Yet, I felt small tentacles of fear begin to wrap around my chest.
Our next stop was MDAnderson, the famous cancer hospital in Houston. Scott had surgery at the end of May and was scheduled for radiation treatments over the summer recess. “There is an 80 percent chance it won’t reoccur,” the doctors said. At the end of summer, all his tests came back negative and Scott was back at school in the fall. However, in December, Scott discovered a lump on his neck. It was examined and the result came back “malignant.（恶性的）” We now realized that Scott fell into the 20 percent category. I could feel the tentacles tightening around my chest. He entered the hospital for an aggressive treatment, a combination of interferon and interleukin.
After five months of treatment, he had radical surgery on his neck. The test results were encouraging, only three of the 33 lymph nodes（淋巴结） removed were malignant. We were very hopeful.
For the next six months, Scott’s follow-up visits went well. Then in October, X-ray revealed a spot on his lung. The spot was removed during surgery and the doctors tried to be optimistic. It was a daily battle to control the fear and panic each setback brought.
In January, he was diagnosed as having had a “disease explosion.” The cancer had spread to his lungs, spine and liver and he was given three to six months to live. There were times during this period when I felt like I was having a heart attack. The bands constricting my chest made breathing difficult.
When you watch your child battle cancer, you experience a roller coaster of emotions. There are moments of hope and optimism but a bad test result or even an unusual pain can bring on dread and panic.
Scott was readmitted to the hospital for one last try with chemotherapy. He died, quite suddenly, just six weeks after his last diagnosis. I was completely destroyed. I had counted on those last few months.
The next morning I was busy notifying people and making funeral arrangements. I remember having this nagging feeling that something was physically wrong with me. It took a moment to realize that the crushing sensation in my chest was gone. The thing every parent fears the most had happened. My son was gone. Of course, the fear had been replaced by unbearable sorrow.
After you lose a child, it is so difficult to go on. The most minimal tasks, combing your hair or taking a shower, becoming monumental. For months I just sat and stared into space. That spring, the trees began to bloom; flowers began to pop up in my garden. Friendswood was coming back to life but I was dead inside.
During those last weeks, Scott and I often spoke about life and death. Fragments of those conversations kept playing over and over in my mind.
“Don’t let this ruin your life, Mom.”
“Make sure Dad re models his workshop.”
“Please, take care of my family.”
I remember wishing I could have just one more conversation with him. I knew what I would say, but what would Scott say? “I know how much you love me, Mom. So just sit on the couch and cry.” No, I knew him better than that. Scott loved life and knew how precious it is. I could almost hear his voice saying, “Get up Mom, Get on with your life. It’s too valuable to waste.”
That was the day I began to move forward. I signed up for a cake decorating class. Soon I was making cakes for holidays and birthdays. My daughter-in-law told me about a writing class in Houston. I hadn’t written in years, but since I was retired I decided it be time to start again. The local college advertised a Life Story Writing class that I joined. There I met women who had also lost their children. The Poet Laureate of Texas was scheduled to speak at our local Barnes and Noble. I attended and joined our local poetry society. I never dreamed that writing essays and poems about Scott could be so therapeutic. Several of those poems have ever been published. In addition, each group brought more and more people into my life..
I don’t believe you ever recover from the loss of a child. Scott is in my heart and mind every day. However, I do believe you can survive.
Scott fought so bravery to live and he never gave up. He taught me that life is a gift that should be cherished, not wasted. It has taken years to become the person I am today. The journey has been a difficult, painful process but certainly worth the effort and I know that my son would be proud.
1.How old was Scott probably when he died?
A．33 B．35 C．37 D．40
2.What does the underlined sentence “ The bands constricting my chest made breathing difficult” probably imply?
A．It implies that Scott’s mother was likely to have a heart attack.
B．It implies that there was something wrong with Scott’s mother’s chest.
C．It implies that Scott’s mother was very upset and panic because of Scott’s severe illness.
D．It implies that the cancer had spread to her chest just like her son.
3.Which of the following statements best shows the author’s feeling about Scott’s death?
A．It was a daily battle to control the fear and panic each setback brought.
B．She felt a wave of fear.
C．She felt a feeling of fear begin to wrap around her chest.
D．The fear had been replaced by unbearable sorrow.
4.From Scott and his mother’s conversation, we can know that Scott is ________.
A．considerable B．humorous C．determined D．sensitive
5.The author intends to tell us that___________.
A．it takes a long time to make a person recover from the shock of losing a child
B．Scott is proud of his mother
C．life is full of happiness and sorrow.
D．We’d better make our life count instead of counting your days.
6.What might be the best title of the passage ?
A．Life is valuable B．Grieving and Recovery
C．Love and sorrow D．Alive or dead
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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As we neared the last days of my mom’s life, I wanted to understand what she was feeling and seeing. The day before she took her last breath I decided to ask her.
First I wanted to make sure she could comprehend what I was saying. I told her I loved her, and she raised her eyebrows in acknowledgment. Then I shared a funny story about a conversation my sister and I had. The corners of her mouth turned up in a smile. I could tell that she was taking in every word. And then I went for it.
“Mom, can I ask you a serious question?” She turned her head and opened her eyes fully. I could tell she wanted to grasp every word that came out of my mouth.
“Mom, do you see any of our dead relatives in the room? Do you see your dad?” she shook her head.
“Do you see your mom?” She shook her head again.
“Do you see dad?” Her response was quite different this time. She began nodding her head.
“Is he here in this room right now?” She nodded. “Can he see me?” She nodded again. Then she tried to communicate with words, but she couldn’t get the words out. The next morning she died peacefully...
A few weeks ago, I was wondering why I haven’t had many dreams of my mom since she died. That night I had one of the clearest dreams I’ve had for a long time. Mom was dressed beautifully. She stared at me with a huge smile. Her eyes were bright and full of life. She was happier than I had seen her in years. And she was younger. We didn’t exchange any words, but it was clear that she was happy and free.
I woke up with joy in my heart.
1.Why did the author do the things mentioned in Paragraph2?
A. To review the past happy days with her mother.
B. To make her mother happy during her last days.
C. To check if her mother could understand her.
D. To show that she has a deep love for her mother.
2.What was the author’s mother like on the last day before her death?
A. She had no sense of hearing at all.
B. She couldn’t move except her eyes.
C. She could still speak in an unclear voice.
D. She could communicate with her body language.
3.What did the author dream that night?
A. Her mother talked with her.
B. Her mother was in high spirits.
C. Her mother’s eyes seemed dull.
D. Her mother looked older than ever.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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______ the mother really doubts is______her son will join the army soon.
A.That; what B.What; whether C.That; whether D.What; that
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
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The Wake-up Call
“What’s that?” my ten-year-old daughter, Genie, asked. She’d caught me laughing at a piece of mail I’d just opened. “Wake-up service; $2.50 per call.” At the bottom was a phone number and a drawing of a rotary phone, like the one my great-aunt Sara had owned 40 years ago.
“Is that mail funny?” Genie asked.
“Not really,” I admitted. “It’s just outdated.”
“What’s a wake-up call？” She frowned. I explained how, before smart-phones, people sometimes paid someone to wake them with a call.
“Who sent this flyer?” she pressed.
“Probably someone older,” I said, “and could use some money.”
Her eyes lit up. “Can we order a wake-up?” she asked.
“We don’t need it.” I picked it up and headed for the recycling bin.
“Wait!” she shrieked.
“I feel sorry for the wake-up man, if he needs some money,” she said, tearing up. “Can’t we order?”
I looked at the flyer with its drawing of a rotary phone. I remembered, again, my great-aunt Sara and her rotary phone. As a kid, I’d visited her over Labor Day, when Jerry Lewis would host his charity event for the disabled kids. Aunt Sara would squeeze my hand, then reach for the rotary phone, dialing the number on the screen. Holding the receiver between us, we’d announce to the operator, “We’d like to help those kids.”
Now here was my own child, showing the same big heart I’d once been encouraged to have, and how could I ignore her? I Googled the flyer’s return address. The address belonged to a man called Raymond. He was in his mid-60s. We called him and, holding the receiver between us, the way Aunt Sara and I used to, told him we needed his services. “Great!” Raymond said in a shaky but friendly voice, clearly amazed at receiving an order from a child. When I asked how to pay the $2.50, he answered, “Mail a check.”
Genie was happy all week. Friday night, I put the phone by her pillow so she could answer Raymond’s call. She bounded to my bedroom to tell me all about how he’d wished her a good morning and told her to have a great day, which she did.
Technology has made some things outdated. But there are still other things the world will always require. In the rush and hustle of my daily life, I’d temporarily forgotten that. I guess I just needed a wake-up call.
1.The author laughed at the mail because ________.
A. it was printed roughly
B. the drawing in it was poor
C. the wake-up call cost too much
D. the service it offered was outdated
2.What did the author want to do with the flyer at first?
A. Throw it away.
B. Let Genie read it.
C. Find out who sent it.
D. Keep it away from Genie.
3.What made the author finally decide to order a wake-up call?
A. Her own childhood experience.
B. The less fortunate wake-up man.
C. Genie’s curiosity about the service.
D. The information she found on Google.
4.What might “other things” in the last paragraph refer to?
A. Bravery and curiosity.
B. Confidence and patience.
C. Honesty and humor.
D. Generosity and kindness.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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—You don’t look well! What’s the matter?
—My son is _______ to computer games. And I have no idea what to do with it.
A. interested B. crazy
C. curious D. addicted
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
r face and looked at the