There’s a blue house in central Florida that’...

There’s a blue house in central Florida that’s hard to miss. It’s somewhat famous among people who live nearby — it’s painted to look like Starry Night”, the iconic painting by Vincent van Gogh — but not everyone is a fan of the larger-than-life artwork.

“We had not originally intended to paint the house like this,” Nancy Nemhauser, who lives there with her husband, Lubomir Jastrzebski, and their adult son, told TODAY. They started by painting the wall that runs outside of their home, because it was “in disrepair” and they wanted it to look nice. The couple said they even asked permission from the city to paint the wall, and were told it was OK.

“So we went ahead and started having the wall painted by an artist who has his work shown throughout South America,” Nemhauser said. They chose Van Gogh because their son, who has autism (自闭症), is a fan — and they hoped that the mural would come in handy if he ever wandered far from home.

“God forbid he were to be in a situation where he did not have the ability to tell people his address clearly. We’re hoping that he would have the ability to at least say that he belongs at the Van Gogh house,” Nemhauser said. The couple added that their son loves the look of the house. “There’s some magical connection I think between Van Gogh and autistic kids, because Van Gogh was possibly also autistic,” Jastrzebski said.

After the couple painted the wall, they got a citation (传票) from the city stating that the wall painting was considered graffiti (涂鸦), and that the wall must match the house. That’s when they decided to paint the entire house to look like “Starry Night” — knowing that’s not quite what the city had in mind, but confident that they weren’t breaking any law.

Since then, they’ve been fined $10,600. In February, they filed a federal lawsuit against the city, claiming the city is violating their right to freedom of expression.

Neither Mount Dora city officials nor their lawyer would comment on the issue. But in February, they did say in a statement that they were trying to preserve the residential character of our neighborhoods, and that the house “may present a distraction to safe vehicle operation along the street which fronts the home”.

Nemhauser and Jastrzebski add that many neighbors love the house, and thousands of people have signed an online petition (请愿) in support of keeping the painting. While both sides are in settlement talks, the fate of the mural is still up in the air. The family said they were ready to battle for what they believe in.

1.What was the couple’s initial intention to paint the wall?

A.To beautify the damaged wall.

B.To respond to the call of the city.

C.To assist an artist to show his work.

D.To express their son’s admiration to Van Gogh.

2.What does the underlined phrase “God forbid” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A.May God forgive us.

B.It’s forbidden by God.

C.Even God can’t help it.

D.We hope it does not happen.

3.What’s Mount Dora city officials’ attitude towards the unique house?

A.Supportive. B.Disapproving.

C.Ambiguous. D.Understanding.

4.What is the text mainly about?

A.“Starry Night” house in Florida arouses a heated debate.

B.Neighbors sign an online petition in support of “Starry Night” house.

C.The magical connection between Van Gogh and autistic kids.

D.Homeowners battle for their “Starry Night” house in Florida.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The tall manchineel tree that is native to the Caribbean, Florida, South America, Central America and the Bahamas, looks particularly attractive. But you may be wise to notice the warning given that the tree holds the Guinness World Record for “the world’s most dangerous tree”.

The deadliness begins with the sweet-smelling fruit. As British radiologist Nicola Strickland and her friend discovered, even a single bite of the green apple-like produce can lead to hours of suffering. The scientist says within minutes of eating the fruit, she and her friend experienced “a strange peppery feeling” in their mouths. A few hours later, the two could barely swallow any solid food. Fortunately, the symptoms started to reduce after about eight hours and the fruit did not cause any long-term damage.

Many plants have poisonous bark and leaves to prevent grass-eating animals. However, the fruits are usually edible allowing animals to feed on them or carry seeds to help with reproduction. But since the manchineel fruits are largely transported by ocean tides, the tree does not need help to reproduce.

The tree’s thick and milky white sap (树液) is equally dangerous. Contact with the skin can lead to symptoms that range from headaches to respiratory(呼吸) problems. Exposure to the eye can even cause “temporary painful blindness”. Given that the sap’s most dangerous toxin is highly water soluble, experts advise not using the tree for shade during a rain shower, as raindrops carrying the sap could easily burn your skin.

The fear has resulted in almost destroying the tree in Florida where it is on the list of endangered species. While removing it altogether may seem like the logical solution, experts argue that the manchineel trees are important for local ecosystems. In addition to protecting against ocean winds, the dense manchineel trees also prevent ocean erosion in Central America. The tree’s wood is very popular with Caribbean carpenters who have learned to neutralize its poisonous sap by drying the bark in the sun. In Central and South America, the locals use the bark to treat body swelling caused by injury and infection.

1.Which of the following best explains “edible” underlined in Paragraph 3?

A.Fit to eat. B.Easy to pick. C.Hard to find. D.Nice to look at.

2.Which of the following about the manchineel tree is true?

A.Its fruits taste sweet.

B.It reproduces by ocean tides.

C.Your eyes may be blind at the sight of it.

D.You have difficulty breathing in its shade.

3.What is mainly talked about in the last paragraph?

A.The medical use of the manchineel trees.

B.The important role of the manchineel trees.

C.The urgent need of protecting the manchineel trees.

D.The way of removing poisonous sap from the trees.

4.Which of the following can best show the structure of the passage?

A. B. C. D.

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

It's hard to track__________blue whale in that ocean, which has been killed off by commercial whaling and is now listed as__________endangered species.

高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

Drive through any suburb in the U.S. today,and it's hard to miss the bins that have become companions to America's trash cans.Recycling has become commonplace,as people recognize the need to care for the environment. Yet most people's recycling consciousness extends only as far as paper,bottles,and cans.People seldom find themselves facing the growing problem of e-waste.

E-waste rapidly increases as the techno-fashionable frequently upgrade to the most advanced devices,and the majority of them end up in landfills（垃圾填埋地）.Some people who track such waste say that users throw away nearly 2 million tons of TVs,VCRs,computers,cell phones,and other electronics every year.Unless we can find a safe replacement,this e-waste may get into the ground and poison the water with dangerous toxins（毒素）,such as lead, mercury,and arsenic.Burning the waste also dangerously contaminates the air.

However,e-waste often contains reusable silver.gold.and other electrical materials.Recycling these materials reduces environmental problems by reducing both landfill waste and the need to look for such metals,which can destroy ecosystems.

A growing number of states have adopted laws to ban dumping e-waste.Still,less than a quarter of this refuse will reach lawful recycling programs.Some companies advertising safe disposal（处置）in fact merely ship the waste to some developing countries,where it still ends up in landfills.These organizations prevent progress by unsafely disposing of waste in an out-of-sight,out-of-mind location.

However,the small but growing number of cities and corporations that do handle e-waste responsibly represents progress toward making the world a cleaner,better place for us all.

1.What can we infer from the first paragraph?

A. Most Americans have realized the dangers of e-waste.

B. E-waste cannot be put into trash cans in the U.S.

C. Many Americans now have access to recycling bins.

D. Most of America's trash cans are made of recycled material.

2.What can best replace the underlined word "contaminates" in Paragraph 2?

A. Pollutes.　　 B. Heats.

C. Absorbs.　　 D. Reduces.

3.How does the author feel about burying e-waste m landfills?

A. It's important.　　 B. It's unsafe.

C. It's acceptable.　　 D. It's uncommon.

4.What's the author's purpose in writing this text?

A. To tell us how to recycle e-waste.

B. To talk about the future of e-waste.

C. To discuss if it's necessary to recycle e-waste.

D. To encourage us to deal with e-waste properly.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Drive through any suburb in the U.S. Today, and it’s hard to miss the recycling bins that have become companions to America’s trash cans. Recycling has become common, as people recognize the need to care for the environment. Yet most people’s recycling consciousness extends only as far as paper, bottles, and cans. People seldom find themselves facing the growing problem of e-waste.

E-waste rapidly increases as the techno- fashionable frequently upgrade to the most advanced devices, and the majority of them end up in landfills (垃圾填埋地). Some people who track such waste say that users throw away nearly 2 million tons of TVs, VCRs, computers, cell phones, and other electronics every year. Unless we can find a safe replacement, this e-waste may get into the ground and poison the water with dangerous toxins (毒素), such as lead, mercury, and arsenic. Burning the waste also dangerously contaminates the air.

However, e-waste often contains reusable silver, gold, and other electrical materials. Recycling these materials reduces environmental problems by reducing both landfill waste and the need to look for such metals, which can destroy ecosystems.

A growing number of states have adopted laws to ban dumping e-waste. Still, less than a quarter of this waste will reach lawful recycling programs. Some companies advertising safe disposal in fact merely ship the waste to some developing countries, where it still ends up in landfills. These organizations prevent progress by unsafely disposing of waste in an out- of- sight, out- of- mind location.

However, the small but growing number of cities and corporations that do handle e- waste responsibly represents progress toward making the world a cleaner, better place for us all.

1.What can we infer from the first paragraph?

A. Many Americans now have access to recycling bins.

B. E-waste cannot be put into trash cans in the U.S.

C. Most Americans have realized the dangers of e-waste.

D. Most of America’s trash cans are made of recycled material.

2.What can best replace the underlined word “contaminates” in Paragraph 2?

A. pollutes.　　 B. heats.

C. absorbs.　　 D. reduces.

3.How does the author feel about burying e-waste in landfills?

A. It’s important.　　 B. It’s unsafe.

C. It’s acceptable.　　 D. It’s uncommon.

4.What’s the author’s purpose in writing this text?

A. To tell us how to recycle e-waste.

B. To talk about the future of e-waste.

C. To discuss if it’s necessary to recycle e-waste.

D. To encourage us to deal with e-waste properly.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

John complained to the bookseller that there were several pages______in the dictionary.

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

To make believe that there was still someone in the house, the housewife went downstairs, ______ the lights ______ in the living room.

A. left; burnt           B. leaving; burning     C. leaving; burnt       D. left; being burnt

高三英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析

The trees in that thick forest are so close together that there is hardly any room to move      _______them．

A．between              B．in                C．among             D．across

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

There was enough evidence to prove that the explosion in Robinson’s house _______ the leak of natural gas.

A．resulted in        B．resulted from      C．led to            D．contributed to

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Twelve years ago, I arrived in Central Florida from Puerto Rico. I had heard of a job opportunity and decided to pursue it. But it never became a reality. I quickly learned that being alone without resources in an unfamiliar city was not a comfortable situation to be in.

Once my limited funds ran out I became homeless and spent a year and a half living on the streets of Orlando. Apart from feeling not being noticed and missing my family, I had to face another challenge—hunger.

For the first time in my life, I, as a foreign man, who had lived my life in the relative comfort of the middle class, understood the desperation someone feels when they don’t get enough to eat. I clearly remembered having run a distance of more than 7 miles on many occasions just to make it to a local feeding program before they closed at 7 pm.

Once the need for food was met, the next challenge would arise—where to find a place to sleep for the night. Fortunately, local programs like the Coalition for the Homeless, Second Harvest Food Bank and the Wayne Densch Center were an important part of my ability to survive my painful experience.

With the assistance of these programs, I was accepted by a college scholarship program through the Coalition and obtained two degrees from Valencia.

My experience has helped me understand that devoting my life to helping others offers lasting rewards. Today, I am employed as Childhood Hunger Programs Manager at Second Harvest Food Bank and oversee the summer feeding, Hi-Five Kids Pack, and Kids Café programs. I am so proud to be able to distribute food resources to those wonderful programs and help hundreds more like me.

1.What can be inferred from Paragraph 1?

A. It was impossible for the author to get a job then.

B. Many local people were out of work in Florida.

C. Florida was not a good place for people living there.

D. The author rejected many chances to get a job in Florida.

2.Why did the author run a distance of over 7 miles on many occasions?

A. Because he didn’t want to be late for work there.

B. Because he desired to get some food to eat.

C. Because he went there to help the poor.

D. Because he helped distribute food resources to the poor.

3.Before being accepted by a college scholarship program, the author_____.

A. had lived with his relatives happily.

B. had won his degree in a university.

C. had been struggling financially.

D. had lost hope of facing the future.

4. From his experience, the author learns that ______.

A. misfortune may be an actual blessing.

B. a friend in need is a friend indeed.

C. where there is a will there is a way.

D. one good turn deserves another.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析