J.K. Rowling frequently shows there is magic ...

J.K. Rowling frequently shows there is magic every day. Her Harry Potter series has helped people through times of stress and depression and she is always there to deliver wise words of encouragement.

She is a celebrity (名人) who is very active on twitter. So when a single dad named Matt Burke sent her a message thanking her for the series, she noticed. Her series had helped strengthen his relationship with his 9-year-old daughter Bailey.

He included a link to his article titled being a broke Parent. He explained how he hadn’t found a level of financial stability that allowed him to pay bills on time and take his daughter on more activities and events. The family also doesn’t have the Internet or TV, which means there’s no “digital babysitter”, and he has to rely on his own creative ways to bond with his daughter. Since he received the series, the main thing they have done these days is reading books together.

Burke admits that he thought he was “too cool” for the books when they first came out and he was in his twenties, but he’s loving reading them now. “We switch off chapter by chapter reading them out loud,” Burke explains. “This not only allows her to get more used to reading aloud in front of someone, but it gets me directly involved in something she loves, and it gives me the chance to be very dramatic when I read my chapters and bring myself into the characters in the book, which has proven to be a ton of fun.”

After hearing Burke’s story, Rowling said how honored she was when Harry Potter was a part of his family’s life and offered Burke more signed books. Besides, people are also offering to send Burke more books as gifts. For Burke, this experience, far more than gifts, will be what he treasures.

1.Why did Burke thank J. K. Rowling according to the passage?

A.She guided him how to write a good story.

B.She encouraged him when he was in trouble.

C.Her books helped him improve his bond with his daughter.

D.Her books helped him through times of confusion.

2.What is implied in Burke’s words in Paragraph 4?

A.He has found it interesting to read the series.

B.He was too old to understand the series better.

C.He has chosen a better way of reading the series.

D.He hopes to play a role in the drama in the future.

3.Which word can best describe Burke’s experience according to the passage?

A.Ridiculous. B.Precious.

C.Abnormal. D.Unbelievable.

4.What is the main idea of this passage?

A.J. K. Rowling chooses to help people through times of depression.

B.Burke comes to know J. K. Rowling through her series.

C.J. K. Rowling has a deep influence on others’ growth.

D.J.K. Rowling gives a magical gift to a single father.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

As a fan of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, the talented young girl _______ reading all her_______.

A. is determined to; works                 B. is bent on; works

C. focuses on; work                         D. is used to; work

高二英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析

J.K. Rowling, ____ gifted creator of Harry Potter, is ____ success in the literary world.

A．a; a              B．\; a              C．the; \             D．the; a

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Due to frequent layoffs, there is anxiety among the employees ________ they may one day be out of work.

A. when　　 B. how　　 C. why　　 D. that

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

UK

Attention, Harry Potter fans: The sixth novel in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter stories, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood, will go on sale in the United States, Canada, Britain and Australia on July 16, 2005

Italy

According to a recent study, there are now more dogs and cats in Italian homes than children. There are at least 14.5 million dogs cats in Italian homes compared with 8.7 million children under the age of 15．Italy has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe. A psychologist said that pets were loved by many young Italians who could not have or did not want to have children. In Italy, spending on pets has increased by 20 percent in the past five years.

US

The start of a new years is time when many Americans like to think about ways to make improvements for the future. But this year, instead of the usually New Year’s resolution(决心) to lose weight, quit smoking or exercise more, the US Department of Homeland Security is urging Americans to create a family emergency plan for any terror attack.

France & Iraq

The two French journalists who had been held hostage(扣为人质) in Iraq for 124 days were freed last week. Christian Chesnot, 37 and Georges Malbunot, 41, were kidnapped along with their Iraqi driver on Aug, 20 in Iraq. French Prime Minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, said that the French government had not paid ransom(赎金) for their release.

1.From the news above we know that health is usually most being talked about in _________

2.The content order of the passage is___________

3.Which is the suitable title for the second passage?

4.The two journalists were held hostage on ___________.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Every year in China, ______ day is set aside to honor and show respect to ______ elders.

A．/; the            B．the; the           C．a; /              D．a; the

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Though the working mother is very busy, she _____ an hour every day to spend with her daughter.

A. set out            B. set off             C. set about            D. set aside

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are very busy trying to  31  in order to pay the high tuition for my brother and me. They don’t act in the 32 ways that I read in books or I see on TV. In their opinion, “I love you” is too 33 for them to say. Sending flowers to each other on Valentine’s Day is even more out of 34.

One day, my mother was sewing a quilt. I sat down beside her. “Mom, I have a question to ask you. Is there _35  between you and Dad?” I asked her in a very low voice. She didn’t answer immediately. She 36  her head and continued to sew the quilt.

I was very worried because I thought I had _37_ her. I was 38_ and I didn’t know what I should do. But at last I heard my mother say the following words:

“Susan,” she said thoughtfully, “Look at this thread．Sometimes it __39_, but most of it disappears in the quilt. The thread really makes the quilt _40__. If life is a quilt, then love should be a thread．It can hardly be seen _41 , but it’s really there. Love is 42_.”

I listened carefully but I __43_ her until the next spring. At that time, my father suddenly _44 seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month. When they returned from the hospital, they both looked __45_. It seemed both of them had had a serious illness. After they were back, every day in the morning and dusk, my mother helped my father 46__ on the country road．

“Dad, how are you feeling now?” I asked him one day.

“Susan, don’t _47  me.” he said gently. “To tell you the truth, I just like walking with your mom.”_48_ his eyes, I know he loves my mother deeply.

Once I thought love meant flowers, gifts and 49 . But from this experience, I understand that love is just _50_ in the quilt of our life. Love is inside, making life strong and warm.

1.                A．keep fit         B．rise early        C．collect money  D．earn money

2.                A．romantic        B．magic          C．fantastic  D．attractive

3.                A．simple          B．luxurious        C．relaxing  D．easy

4.                A．question        B．the question     C．reach    D．control

5.                A．feeling         B．quarrel         C．love D．smile

6.                A．bowed         B．shook          C．nodded   D．raised

7.                A．hurt           B．injured         C．wounded D．harmed

8.                                  A．in great surprise B．with deep depression

C．in a great embarrassment             D．at extreme sorrow

9.                A．happens        B．comes about     C．occurs    D．appears

10.               A．warm and soft   B．hot and hard     C．thin and cool   D．strong and durable

11.                                A．more or less B．here and there

C．somewhere and sometime           D．anywhere or anytime

12.               A．inside          B．outside         C．faraway   D．nearby

13.               A．could believe    B．wouldn’t recognize  C．couldn’t understand    D．might know

14.               A．got stuck       B．got sick         C．threw up D．became disabled

15.               A．quite healthy    B．fairly red        C．very pale  D．much surprised

16.               A．walk slowly      B．go hurriedly     C．run fast   D．jump high

17.               A．think about      B．worry about     C．talk with   D．laugh at

18.               A．Saying         B．Seeing         C．Reading   D．Writing

19.               A．fresh roses      B．gold ring        C．beautiful jewelry    D．sweet kisses

20.               A．a needle        B．a thread        C．the cloth  D．the cotton

高二英语完型填空简单题查看答案及解析

There is a common ,usually round object that you can see every day and it appears in many expressions—buttons! Buttons, which are made of metal or plastic, are found on all sorts of clothing. They fasten or connect one piece of clothing to another to make sure your clothes don’t fall off.

To be cute as a button is an old saying, which means to be attractive or sweet, but in a small way. Babies are often described as cute as a button. Language experts don’t know why. But they do say the expression dates from the late 1860s.

Here is another expression associated with button: button-down. People often wear button-down shirts to the office. Button-down as an adjective means to be conservative. People described as button-down stay as close as possible to the normal way of dressing and behaving.

When buttoning a button, you slip it into a buttonhole. A buttonhole traps the button. So, to buttonhole someone means you have trapped him in a spoken conversation. Now, let’s say you find yourself buttonholed in a conversation at a party. Someone just keeps talking and talking and talking! Finally, you can’t stand it any longer. You tell him to button it! This is a direct, but a little rude way of saying “Stop talking!”Button your lip is another equally rude way to stop a person who talks too much.

Another kind of difficult person is someone who pushes one’s buttons. To push one’s buttons means to know how to get that person annoyed or upset. People who like to push other people’s buttons usually do it for selfish reasons.

1.What do you think of someone who wears a button-down shirt to the office?

A. Crazy.　　 B. Traditional.

C. Funny.　　 D. Fashionable.

2.What will you probably say to get rid of a long and boring talk?

A. Be cute as a button.

B. Push your button.

C. Button your lip.

D. Be button-down.

3.How does the fourth paragraph mainly develop?

A. By giving examples.

B. By making contrasts.

C. By listing figures.

D. By analyzing cause and effect.

4.What does the underlined phrase in paragraph mean?[

A. Shouts loudly.

B. Learns of one’s secret.

C. Gets someone to lose his temper.

D. Argues with someone.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The word dream is probably heard most frequently from people in show business, where everyone dreams of standing under the spotlight and being somebody. But the truth is that most end up being nobodies. Hong Kong director Derek Yee’s latest film“ I Am Somebody” shows respect for these unknown extras(群众演员)in the film industry.

In the film, Wan Guopeng, son of a woodcutter, comes a long way from the Northeast with only 1,000 yuan to the dream factory of the East to become an actor. In real life, when the young man was chosen by the director to play the leading role, he had only 20 yuan left but still hadn’t considered giving up.

Famous Hong Kong actor Tony Leung remembered that 30 years ago, he was a salesman but knew that it was not the kind of life he wanted to live. “Wan is exactly like me back then…Only when I was in an acting training course did I realize that what I wanted to be was an actor, not a star winning the best actor awards.”

Yee chose real nobodies to play themselves in the movie. Their strength was their deep understanding of the feelings of the characters they played. But the disadvantage was also obvious: They lacked acting skills. When emotional performances were needed, their expressions and moves seemed unnatural.

The entertainment industry might be the field with the most broken hearts and most efforts gone in vain. Here luck, opportunity and physical appearance are probably much more important than hard work.

In the film, Qin Peijun, a survivor from a coal mine collapse(煤矿坍塌), goes all out to take hold of every possibility to appear in the lens of the camera, even if only as an extra. However, it is obviously much harder for him to realize the dream of becoming a professional actor than for Wang Zhao, who is a lazy bone with a pretty face.

Some critical comments are directed at the sudden inversion(反转) in the last part of the film. The two leading actors’ happy endings seem to disagree with the film’s realistic style. But anyway, this movie is not a documentary but a way to reinforce(硬化) that every brave heart deserves to have their dreams realized.

1.Which of the following can best describe Wan Guopeng?

A. Determined.　　 B. Careful.

C. Intelligent.　　 D. Easy-going.

2.Derek Yee chose real nobodies to play in the film because____.

A. he respected these people

B. they knew well about the characters

C. he needed emotional performances

D. they asked for less money

3.What does the underlined phrase “in vain” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A. Wrongly.　 　　　　 B. Secretly.

C. Without success.　 D. Without consideration.

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

A. It’s OK to be nobody.

B. It’s really hard to become a successful actor.

C. Live the dreams.

D. Be a person of dreams.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析