In our annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey, ...

In our annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey, we asked our readers to rate their favorite cities in the world for arts and culture. These cities are centers of music and dance, museums,and theaters. Here are four of them where you can find inspiration in the arts,starting with the top spot.

Rome, Italy

At its peak, the Roman Empire extended over nearly two million square miles of land across Europe, Asia Minor and North Africa. Today, that history is on display everywhere. The city’s main attractions are famous not because of tourist advertisements,but because they are really so impressive. No wonder it’s known as the Eternal City:You could spend forever here and find new artistic and cultural treasures every day.

Paris, France

Hemingway famously called Paris “a moveable feast”, but wherever you go while in the city, there is always something to see, hear, taste or feel. With some 150 museums, Paris doubles as an art history class, offering the very best of the discipline across centuries and styles.

London, United Kingdom

London is inspiration and setting for the rise of Shakespeare, Dickens, Orwell and Eliot and the breeding ground for all those iconic (标志性的) bands: The Kinks, The Clash and The Stones. London is also Banksy’s favorite canvas, home to more than 1,000 galleries, and the kind of place where you can spend a whole day in a single museum and still be ready for more when it opens the next morning.

Vienna, Austria

As we all know, Western music would be unrecognizable without Austria’s capital, which nurtured many famous musicians. It’s also the site of the Vienna Secession, a revolutionary art movement founded in 1897 by Gustav Klimt. Visitors today can see the fruits of all that creativity in the city’s 100 – odd museums.

1.Why is Rome regarded as the Eternal City?

A.It had an important role in history.

B.Its history can be seen everywhere.

C.People can easily find new art and culture.

D.People can spend money well there.

2.What does the underlined word “nurtured” in the last paragraph mean?

A.Produced. B.Affected.

C.Attracted. D.Changed.

3.Which column can we probably find the text?

A.History. B.Art.

C.Education. D.Life.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Enter your kid’s photo today and win! We’re giving away 52 weekly $250 prizes from Readers’ Choice votes. Plus, our editors will select one entry(参赛作品) to win our grand prize of $7,000.

Official Contest Rules

No purchase necessary to enter or win.

The Kid of the Year Photo Contest entry period begins at 12：00 am March 23,2013, and ends December 21, 2013 (the “Entry Period”). Entries must be received by 9：00 pm on December 21,2013 (“Entry Deadline”). Entries will not be acknowledged or returned.

SPONSOR: Meredith Corporation, 1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, Iowa.

ENTRY: There will be two methods of entry.

Share My Entry：

Visit http：//www.parents.com/photos/photo­contests­1/kid­of­the­year and click the button to enter.

Facebook Entry：

Visit Facebook. com/Parents Magazine and click the Kid of 2012 tab (选项卡)．

Then complete the registration form and follow the instructions to upload one album of up to six photos of your child aged three months to eight years. You may provide one description and one album title that will be applied to all photos.　 Photos, without any brand names or trademarks, must be taken by participants, non­professional, unpublished and may not have won any prize or award. Photos must be.jpeg or.bmp image formats (格式) and cannot be over 3 MB.

This promotion is in no way sponsored, supported or run by, or associated with Facebook.

You are providing your information to Parents Magazine and not to Facebook.　 The information you provide will only be used to run the promotion and register for Parents. com.

Photos must not contain material that infringes (侵犯) the rights of another, including but not limited to privacy, publicity or intellectual property rights, or that constitutes copyright infringement. Photos must not contain brand names or trademarks.

LIMIT: One entry per household, per eligible (有资格的) child, per week. One weekly prize per child. For entries of more than one eligible child in the household, the entry process must be completed separately for each child. No group entries.

1.To enter the contest, photos must ________.

A．have won some prize or award

B．contain parents’ personal information

C．contain brand names or trademarks

D．be taken by non­professional participants

2.Linda, a mother with seven­year­old twins, wants to enter the contest. She must ________.

A．complete the entry process separately for each of her kids

B．go to Meredith Corporation to fill out the registration forms

C．provide a description and an album title for the kid’s photos

D．provide the information to Facebook if she chooses Facebook Entry

3.We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．you should buy something first before you enter the contest

B．you should send your entry before 9：00 pm on December 21,2013

C．your entry will not be returned even if you don’t win the contest

D．the editors of the contest will decide who will win the 20,000 dollars in prizes

4.The purpose of the passage is ________.

A．to advertise the website Facebook. com

B．to encourage parents with children to enter a photo contest

C．to introduce two methods of entering a photo contest

D．to attract photographers’ interest in a photo contest

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Every pet owner loves his pet. There is no argument here.

　But when we asked our readers whether they would clone （克隆， 复制）their beloved animals, the responses（反应） were split almost down the middle. Of the 228 readers who answered it, 108 would clone, 111 would not and nine weighed each side without offering an opinion.

　Clearly, from readers’ response, this is an issue that reaches deeply into both the joy and final sadness of owning a pet. It speaks, as well, to people’s widely differing expectations over the developing scientific procedure.

　Most of the respondents who favored the idea strongly believed it would produce at least a close copy of the original; many felt the process would actually return an exact copy. Those on the other side, however, held little hope a clone could never truly recreate a pet, many simply didn’t wish to go against the natural law of life and death.

　Both sides expressed equal love for their animals. More than a few respondents owned “the best dog/cat in the world”. They thought of their pets as their “best friend”, “a member of the family,”“the light of my life.” They told moving stories of pets’ heroism, intelligence and selfless devotion.

　Then the loss is so disturbing---and the cloning so attractive. “People become very close to their animals, and the loss can be just as hard to bear as when a friend or family member dies,” says Gary Kowalski, author of Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet. “For me, cloning feels like an attempt to turn death away…It’s understandable. Death is always painful. It’s difficult to deal with. It’s hard to accept.”

　But would cloning reduce the blow? This question seemed to be at the heart of this problem.

1.So far as the cloning of pets is concerned, a recent survey shows that, of all pet owners, ____.

2.While talking about the respondents from the readers, the expression “final sadness of owning a pet” refers to ____.

3.From what Gary Kowalski says, we can know that he ____.

4.What is the key question at the heart of the problem of cloning pets?

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Every pet owner loves his pet .There is no argument here.

But when we asked our readers whether they would clone their beloved animals , the responses were split(分裂) almost down the middle . Of the 228 readers who answered it ,108 would clone, 111 would not and nine weighed each side without offering an opinion .

Clearly, from readers’ response, this is an issue that reaches deeply into both the joy and eventual (最终的)sadness of owning a pet. It speaks, as well, to people’s widely differing expectations over the developing scientific procedure (步骤)

Most of the readers who favored the idea strongly believed it would produce at least a close copy of the original; many felt the process would actually return an exact copy. Those on the other side, however, held little hope that clone could truly recreate a pet; many simply did not wish to go against the natural law of life and death.

Both sides expressed equal love for their animals. More of them owned “the best dog/cat in the world”. They thought of their pets as their “best friend” or “a member of the family”. They told moving stories of pets’ heroism, intelligence and selfless devotion.

No wonder the loss is so disturbing---and the cloning so attractive. “People become very close to their animals, and the loss can be just as hard to bear as when a friend or family member dies,” says Gary Kowalski, author of goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet. “For me, cloning feels like an attempt to turn death away…It’s understandable. Death is always painful. It’s difficult to deal with. It’s hard to accept.”

But would cloning reduce the blow? This question seems to be at the heart of this problem.

1.

As far as the cloning of pets is concerned, a recent survey shows that, of all pet owners, ________.

A．a lot more of them are for it      B．a lot more of them are against it

C．very few of them are willing to tell their opinions

．  D．about half of them are for it and the other half against it

2.

The expression “eventual sadness of owning a pet.” (in paragraph 3) refers to ________.

A．the death of one’s pet

B．the final ownership of a pet

C．the troubles one has to deal with in keeping a pet

D．the dangers involved in the cloning of a pet

3.

In spite of their differences on the problem of cloning, it seems that________.

A．all pet owners love their pets very much

B．all pet owners try to go against the natural law of life and death

C．people who support cloning love their pets more

D．people who dislike cloning love their pets more

4.

From what Gary Kowalski says, we can know that he________.

A．has never thought about the problem of cloning

B．thinks it hard to accept the idea of cloning pets

C．is in favor of the idea of cloning pets

D．is all against the cloning of pets

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Money is stressful. For the seventh year in a row, the APA’s annual Stress in America survey found that money is the top source of stress for American adults. More than a quarter of Americans say they feel stressed about money most or all of the time. Only 30 percent rate their financial security as high, and more than two-thirds believe that more money would make them happier.People commonly deal with anxiety by avoiding whatever it is that makes them anxious. Unfortunately, if you avoid dealing with your finances, you’ll likely create more financial problems, and more anxiety, in the long term.

Money matters are too important to ignore. Financial inability is linked to money mismanagement and to debt. Debt, in turn, is associated with lower self-confidence, lower productivity and greater stress. Unsurprisingly, research has also linked financial pressure to desperation (绝望).

We develop our beliefs and attitudes about money early in life. Often, we aren’t even consciously aware of what our beliefs are, let alone where we learned them. If you’re dealing with financial avoidance or financial rejection, it can help to think critically about the money beliefs you learned in childhood. Think about what your parents taught you about money. Talk to family members about their money beliefs. Then try to challenge your existing beliefs about money.

Many people feel embarrassed about their debt, ashamed that they let bank statements pile up unread. But that shame keeps you stuck. Try to move past the self-blame so you can take some concrete steps toward financial health.

1.What do we learn about American adults from the text?

A. Money causes them the main stress.

B. They care about money most.

C. They need money very much.

D. Their financial security is high.

2.What does the author think of avoiding financial stress?

A. It’s understandable.　　 B. It’s harmful.

C. It’s helpful.　　 D. It’s useless.

3.According to the text, our money beliefs are developed from 　　　　　 .

A. examples of family members　　 B. attitudes of neighborhood

C. experiences of childhood　　 D. influences of parents

4.What can people do to get financial health according to the author?

A. Repay their debt.　　 B. Read their bank statements.

C. Overcome their self-blame.　　 D. Challenge existing money beliefs.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

We all love our parents and turn to them when we’re in need, but would you like them to hear the conversations you have with your friends in the school playground or lunch queue? Social networking sites, such as micro-blog, blog and the Facebook, have actually become extensions of the school hallways（走廊）, so would you add your parents as “friends” and allow them to view your online activities and conversations with friends?

In the past the generation gap included a technology gap, where children were up to date with latest technology and parents were left behind, content to continue their day to day lives as they always had because they had no need to be good at new technology. However, more and more parents are beginning to realize just how important social networks are in their lives. This realization has given many parents the motivation (动机) to educate themselves about social networking sites.

These days many people are attracted to social networking sites because they can choose who they have around them; there’s also a certain amount of control over privacy that we don’t get in real life. Sometimes we feel that privacy is invaded when we must accept a “friend” request from a parent or family member.

It’s a difficult choice whether or not to allow a parent to become a part of our online lives. On the one hand we don’t want to “refuse” their request because that might hurt their feelings or make them feel you have something to hide. On the other hand if you do accept, then you could have a sense of being watched and no longer feel free to comment or communicate the way you did before.

A recent survey suggested that parents shouldn’t take it personally if their child ignores their request: “When a teen ignores a parent’s friend request, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are hiding something, but it could mean that this is one part of their life where they want to be truly independent.”

Perhaps talking with parents and giving explanations would help soften the blow if you do choose not to add them to your friends list.

1.The underlined sentence in paragraph 1 means that _______________.

A. students begin to communicate on some websites

B. students may log in micro-blog on school hallways

C. students can find pictures of hallways on micro-blog

D. schools begin to build their hallways on the Internet

2.According to paragraph 2, parents nowadays __________________.

A. are not content with their life any more

B. are all very good at new technology

C. go to school to learn new technology

D. begin to know their children through network

3.What can we infer from paragraph 3, 4 and 5？

A. People like network because they can choose friends as they like.

B. People cannot keep all their privacy on social networking sites.

C. Children refuse their parents’ “friend” request to hide something

D. Refusing parents “friend” request on the internet will hurt their feelings.

4.According to the passage, if Jack, a 17-year-old high school student refuses a “friend” request from his mother on micro-blog, ____________.

A. it means he will feel being watched and unsafe then

B. it is because Jack wants to own his independence

C. his mother will know that Jack wants to keep privacy

D. a quarrel will break out between Jack and his mother

5.What is the passage mainly taking about?

A. Children are more likely to turn to parents when they need help.

B. Children should be “friends” with their parents in order not to hurt parents.

C. It is a question to children whether to be “friends” with their parents.

D. There are some ways preventing children from hurting parents’ feelings.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

We've all been in a situation where we ask our friend to the restaurant for lunch and find ourselves waiting at a table alone. We look around the room, notice all the other customers dining with someone, and suddenly become insecure that we're alone. Instead of starting a conversation with someone, we rush to grab our phones and stare at the screen until we are finally rescued by our late friend.

Long gone are the days when we start a conversation with the person next to us while sitting on the subway during the morning or evening commute. However, small talk, as well as the willingness to engage in it, is very important.

When humans engage in small talk, it actually provides a feeling of happiness. Those who socially interact are likely to increase their happiness and health, while others who shy away from social interaction are reported to feel disappointed and unhealthy, according to the Huffington Post. And small talk not only keeps us feeling happy and healthy, but teaches us how to stay calm in situations that we might not normally find ourselves in. Instead of feeling anxious and nervous, starting a conversation with people you don't know helps calm the nerves and provides a feeling of inclusion. An unfamiliar event with people you don’t know suddenly becomes gratifying.

But perhaps the most important reason why everyone should learn to engage in small talk is that it teaches us how to listen and truly form relationships. By asking a stranger some questions and showing interest in them, it helps establish new relationships, whether they are personal or business-related.

You should learn how to connect with someone and identify with people you don't know. So next time you're alone in a public place, try to reach out to others and start a conversation. It’s really not that hard.

1.What does the writer intend to describe through Paragraph 1?

A.Anxiety of being alone. B.Impatience with waiting for friends.

C.Addiction to smart phones. D.Absence of communication between strangers.

2.How many benefits of small talk are mentioned in the passage?

A.Two. B.Three. C.Four. D.Five.

3.Which does the writer think most valuable for taking small talk?

A.Developing new relationships. B.Avoiding negative emotions.

C.Having more people to turn to. D.Learning some social skills.

4.Which word can replace the underlined one in Paragraph 4?

A.Typical. B.Peaceful. C.Enjoyable. D.Instructive.

5.Which might be the best title?

A.Let's Start Small Talk. B.How to Make Friends.

C.Drive Away Shyness. D.How to Start Small Talk.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

We all love our parents and turn to them when we’re in need, but would you like them to hear the ______ you have with your friends in the school playground or lunch queue? Social networking sites, such as micro-blog, blog and the Facebook, have actually become ______ of the school hallways(走廊), so would you add your parents as “friends” and allow them to ______ your online ______ and conversations with friends?

In the past the generation gap included a technology gap, where children were ______ with latest technology and parents were left behind, content to continue their day-to-day lives as they always had because they had no ______ to be good at new technology. ______, more and more parents are beginning to ______ just how important social networks are in their lives. This realization has given many parents the ____ to educate themselves about social networking sites.

These days many people are ______ to social networking sites because they can choose who they have around them; there’s also a certain amount of control over ______ that we don’t get in real life. Sometimes we feel that privacy is ______ when we must accept a “friend” request from a parent or family member.

It’s a difficult choice whether or not to allow a parent to become a part of our ______ lives. On the one hand we don’t want to “refuse” their request because that might hurt their feelings or make them feel you have something to ______. On the other hand if you do accept, then you could have a(n) ______ of being watched and no longer feel ______ to comment or communicate the way you did before.

A recent survey suggested that parents shouldn’t take it personally if their child ignores their request: “When a teen ignores a parent’s friend request, it doesn’t ______ mean that they are hiding something, but it could mean that this is one part of their life where they want to be truly _______.” Perhaps talking with parents and giving explanations would help soften the ______ if you do choose not to ______ them to your friends list.

1.A. quarrels　　 B. conversations　　 C. debates　　 D. bargains

2.A. explosions　　 B. focuses　　 C. extensions　　 D. definitions

3.A. spread　　 B. decide　　 C. repeat　　 D. view

4.A. habits　　 B. activities　　 C. images　　 D. shows

5.A. in association　　 B. in conflict　　 C. side by side　　 D. up to date

6.A. need　　 B. choice　　 C. money　　 D. time

7.A. However　　 B. Indeed　　 C. Thus　　 D. Otherwise

8.A. advocate　　 B. realize　　 C. deny　　 D. doubt

9.A. excuse　　 B. ability　　 C. motivation　　 D. chance

10.A. exposed　　 B. attracted　　 C. adapted　　 D. committed

11.A. privacy　　 B. privilege　　 C. personality　　 D. process

12.A. interpreted　　 B. interacted　　 C. insulted　　 D. invaded

13.A. school　　 B. online　　 C. family　　 D. social

14.A. avoid　　 B. dislike　　 C. hide　　 D. refuse

15.A. guilt　　 B. memory　　 C. sense　　 D. obligation

16.A. worried　　 B. satisfied　　 C. real　　 D. free

17.A. nevertheless　　 B. necessarily　　 C. possibly　　 D. entirely

18.A. independent　　 B. available　　 C. popular　　 D. responsible

19.A. voice　　 B. hatred　　 C. result　　 D. blow

20.A. show　　 B. apply　　 C. add　　 D. force

高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

We all love our parents and turn to them when we’re in need, but would you like them to hear the _______ you have with your friends in the school playground or lunch queue? Social networking sites, such as micro-blog, blog and the Facebook, have actually become _______ of the school hallways(走廊), so would you add your parents as “friends” and allow them to _______ your online _______ and conversations with friends?

In the past the generation gap included a technology gap, where children were _______ with latest technology and parents were left behind, content to continue their day-to-day lives as they always had because they had no _______ to be good at new technology. _______, more and more parents are beginning to _______ just how important social networks are in their lives. This realization has given many parents the _______ to educate themselves about social networking sites.

These days many people are ________ to social networking sites because they can choose who they have around them; there’s also a certain amount of control over ________ that we don’t get in real life. Sometimes we feel that privacy is ________ when we must accept a “friend” request from a parent or family member.

It’s a difficult choice whether or not to allow a parent to become a part of our ________ lives. On the one hand we don’t want to “refuse” their request because that might hurt their feelings or make them feel you have something to ________. On the other hand if you do accept, then you could have a(n) ________ of being watched and no longer feel ________ to comment or communicate the way you did before.

A recent survey suggested that parents shouldn’t take it personally if their child ignores their request: “When a teen ignores a parent’s friend request, it doesn’t ________ mean that they are hiding something, but it could mean that this is one part of their life where they want to be truly ________.” Perhaps talking with parents and giving explanations would help soften the ________ if you do choose not to ________ them to your friends list.

1.A.quarrels B.conversations C.debates D.bargains

2.A.explosions B.focuses C.extensions D.definitions

3.A.spread B.decide C.repeat D.view

4.A.habits B.activities C.images D.shows

5.A.in association B.in conflict C.side by side D.up to date

6.A.need B.choice C.money D.time

7.A.However B.Indeed C.Thus D.Otherwise

8.A.advocate B.realize C.deny D.doubt

9.A.excuse B.ability C.motivation D.chance

10.A.exposed B.attracted C.adapted D.committed

11.A.privacy B.privilege C.personality D.process

12.A.interpreted B.interacted C.insulted D.invaded

13.A.school B.online C.family D.social

14.A.avoid B.dislike C.hide D.refuse

15.A.guilt B.memory C.sense D.obligation

16.A.worried B.satisfied C.real D.free

17.A.nevertheless B.necessarily C.possibly D.entirely

18.A.independent B.available C.popular D.responsible

19.A.voice B.hatred C.result D.blow

20.A.show B.apply C.add D.force

高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Look at the trouble we’re in. If only we _____ our teacher’s advice.

A. had taken     B would have taken   C. took      D. have taken

高二英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析