Have you heard about Post Office Cats in Britain? They are mouse hunters. The post office has actually employed cats since 1868. They are not employed to sort or deliver mail, of course, but to protect the mail and keep the population of mice under control. They make sure your morning post arrives free from damages caused by rats and mice.
London post offices were the first to try out the experiment. Within a few months the population of mice had shrunk sharply. Other post offices all over the country were soon using cats in the war against rats and mice as well. Within ten years the pay of the cats was improved from one and a half old pence a day to six or nine pence a day. Now the average rate of pay is about a few pounds a month.
Some of the hard-working cats have become quite famous. In 1980, a cat named Lucky stopped an attempted robbery in a Worcestershire post office on her own. As the two burglars made their way in through the window, Lucky started an attack and they fled empty-handed. Another excellent cat was Jerry, of Earls Court post office in London. He served the building for 16 years and was on duty for 24 hours every day. He drove all the mice away.
However, there are fewer cats employed by the post office than at any time in the past. With the faster movement of the mail and better surroundings, post office cats are not always needed. But many post offices still employ them and they become great friends with the postmen. According to the post office, there is no plan for their services to be discontinued in the foreseeable future.
1.Cats were introduced to British post offices to ________.
A.help sort and deliver mails and papers
B.guard the building against thieves
C.keep mails and papers undamaged
D.search for certain dangers in mails
2.The underlined word “shrunk” in the second paragraph probably means “________”.
A.decreased B.increased C.narrowed D.expanded
3.The cat named Lucky became famous because________.
A.She served the post office for 16 years around the clock.
B.She alone drove two burglars away from the post office.
C.She protected mails from being bitten by mice.
D.She was employed to sort and deliver mail.
4.We may learn from the last paragraph that________.
A.the duty of the cats has been replaced by machines
B.all the post offices are now completely mice free
C.cats are now considered of little use in post offices
D.cats will still be seen in service for quite a long time
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
Have you heard about Post Office Cats in Britain? They are mouse hunters. The post office has actually employed cats since 1868. They are not employed to sort or deliver mail, of course, but to protect the mail and keep the population of mice under control. They make sure your morning post arrives free from damages caused by rats and mice.
London post offices were the first to try out the experiment. Within a few months the population of mice had shrunk sharply. Other post offices all over the country were soon using cats in the war against rats and mice as well. Within ten years the pay of the cats was improved from one and a half old pence a day to six or nine pence a day. Now the average rate of pay is about a few pounds a month.
Some of the hard-working cats have become quite famous. In 1980, a cat named Lucky stopped an attempted robbery in a Worcestershire post office on her own. As the two burglars made their way in through the window, Lucky started an attack and they fled empty-handed. Another excellent cat was Jerry, of Earls Court post office in London. He served the building for 16 years and was on duty for 24 hours every day. He drove all the mice away.
However, there are fewer cats employed by the post office than at any time in the past. With the faster movement of the mail and better surroundings, post office cats are not always needed. But many post offices still employ them and they become great friends with the postmen. According to the post office, there is no plan for their services to be discontinued in the foreseeable future.
1.Cats were introduced to British post offices to ________.
A.help sort and deliver mails and papers
B.guard the building against thieves
C.keep mails and papers undamaged
D.search for certain dangers in mails
2.The underlined word “shrunk” in the second paragraph probably means “________”.
A.decreased B.increased C.narrowed D.expanded
3.The cat named Lucky became famous because________.
A.She served the post office for 16 years around the clock.
B.She alone drove two burglars away from the post office.
C.She protected mails from being bitten by mice.
D.She was employed to sort and deliver mail.
4.We may learn from the last paragraph that________.
A.the duty of the cats has been replaced by machines
B.all the post offices are now completely mice free
C.cats are now considered of little use in post offices
D.cats will still be seen in service for quite a long time
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Where do you think they are talking?
A. In a post office.
B. In a bookstore.
C. In a department store.
高二英语短对话简单题查看答案及解析
Bright red post boxes, the Queen and queuing—what do they all have in common? They are all important parts of British life. At least I thought so.
However, the ability to queue for long periods of time, once believed to be a traditional characteristic of the British, is no longer tolerated by people in the UK, according to a survey done for British bank Barclays.
Once upon a time, queuing was seen as normal. During World WarⅡ, everyone had to queue up to receive their daily supply of foods. In fact, if you didn't stand up and wait in line with all the others, it was seen as uncivilized.
The famous English double-decker buses, with only one entrance, might also help explain why queuing was seen as a part of British life. Almost always, there is queue to get on.
But perhaps the British are tired of being pushed past by the Spanish, the Italians or the French as they queue up to get a table at a restaurant. The people of these other European countries have more than one entrance to their buses, which explains their more relaxed attitude to the queue.
Two minutes is now the longest time most British people are prepared to stand and wait. But could it be that the Internet, which allows us to carry out tasks quickly, is the main reason why British people are no longer prepared to queue?
"Used to buying without delay, customers are even giving up purchases rather than wait their turn," says Stuart Neal of Barclaycard. "Shoppers are also less likely to queue for long if the item they are buying is of low value."
Perhaps I will have to replace "queuing" with "impatience" in my list of things I relate to the British.
1. What can we learn about the tradition of queuing in Britain?
A. It was considered a symbol of a civilized behavior.
B. It was a long time tradition as old as the Queen.
C. It was a product of the slow pace of life.
D. It has made the Britain different from other Europeans.
2. According to the passage, the British gradually stopped queuing because ______.
A. they prefer shopping online
B. the Internet has changed their way of life
C. what they are buying is of low value
D. they follow the example of foreigners
3. It can be learned from the text that ______.
A. the British used to buy without delay
B. the British have to queue to receive food
C. the British get impatient with queuing for long
D. the British prefer to take double-decker buses
4.The author's main purpose of writing the passage is _______.
A. to tell us the influence of the Internet on the British ways of life
B. to compare the cultural difference between Britain and other countries
C. to report his research on the British ways of life
D. to talk about the changes in the attitude to queuing in Britain
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
— Have you heard the latest news?
—No, what______?
A. is it B. is there C. are they D. are those
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
— Have you heard about a big fire in the paper factory?
— There’s nothing in the newspaper about it.
A. Of course. B. Who cares?
C. Thank goodness. D. Are you sure?
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
If you are interested in animals, you probably heard about the tragedy at Seaworld Orlando. On February 24, Tillicum, a six-ton orca(虎鲸)，was performing with his trainer, Dawn Brancheau, who stood on a platform by his pool.
They had done the same show together many times before, without incident. This time, though, events took a terrible turn. Without warning, Tillicum leaped from the water, took hold of Branchcheau by her hair, and dragged her deep below the water’s surface. Before other trainers could react, Brancheau drowned.
Although known as killer whales, orcas are the largest member of the dolphin family. They are easy to train, and performances like Tillicum’s have been done safely thousands of times. Yet Dawn Brancheau’s death was a shocking reminder of what can happen when human being act together with wild animals. People began to ask, “Should orcas be kept in captivity(囚禁)”
Yes
Worldwide, only 42 orcas are being kept by humans. Scientists know very little about these huge sea animals, which are difficult to study in the wild. However, they do know that orcas are easily harmed by pollution. As our oceans become ever more damaged by human activity, observing orcas up close helps us understand them and do a better job of protecting them in nature.
“I think that some dangerous animals, such as killer whales, should be kept in captivity because it raises awareness about them and educates people about wild animals,” says Lauren, 12, a 6-grader from Colorado. “Keeping some in captivity will help protect their species.”
No
Enclosed habitats can be painful to wild animals, and make them act in unpredictable even harmful ways.
“It is wrong to keep these animals in captivity”, says Prathm, 12 The 7th grader from New Jersey, adds, “They should live in their own habitats, not be used as entertainment slaves.”
Richard Ellis, a marine conservationist in New York, agrees. “It is part of human nature to keep wild animals in small spaces and train them to do tricks,” he says. “I’m against it because I think it humiliates the animals.”
1.Why does the author tell the tragedy of Dawn Brancheau ?
A．To introduce the topic.
B．To express his sympathy.
C．To describe the human animal relationship.
D．To warn people of the danger of keeping animals.
2.What can we infer from the text?
A. It is hard to train orcas.
B. Orcas are rare sea animals.
C. Orcas’ habitat is being destroyed.
D. Many orcas are hunted each year.
3.The underlined word ”humiliates” in the last paragraph most probably means “ _____”.
A. makes somebody less intelligent
B. makes somebody feel ashamed
C. makes somebody physically weak
D. makes somebody feel threatened
4.The text is mainly about_______.
A. how to help animals live a better life
B. how to develop friendship with animals
C. whether killer whales should be protected
D. whether animals should be kept in captivity
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Have you ever heard anyone say “It’s raining cats and dogs”? It means “It’s raining hard!”
But sometimes cats and dogs do drop from the sky! Here’s how it happens.
Not so long ago, a country far away had many large rats. The people there said, “ We need cats!” So cats were sent to them by airplane. But the country had many mountains. It was hard for an airplane to land. So the cats came down by parachute(降落伞). Did the cats like the ride? They didn’t say they didn’t! And today they are still catching rats!
In another country far away, there is snow the year around. People sometimes got lost in it.
“We need big dogs!” the people said, “The dogs could find people lost in the snow. The dogs could help bring them home. Where can we get big dogs?”
A man across the sea had big dogs to sell. “I will send dogs to you,” he said. “ I have some very big ones. They can find people lost in the snow.”
He sent the dogs by airplane.
But the airplane did not land in the snow. The dogs came down by parachute ---- you guessed it !
Did the dogs like the ride? They didn’t say they didn’t! And today they are well and happy.
They find anyone who gets lost in the snow. Then they help him get home. Good dogs!
Remember it, so you can say, “ Yes, it does rain cats and dogs sometimes. They came down by parachute!”
1.The underlined word “ it” In Paragraph 2 refers to __________.
A．the weather
B．the saying “It’s raining cats and dogs.”
C．the saying “It’s raining hard.”
D．the fact that real cats and dogs drop from the sky.
2.Cats and dogs drop from the sky because ______.
A．there are many mountains in the country.
B. it snows the year around in the country.
C. was hard for a plane to land in the two countries.
D. coming down by parachute could save money.
3.The main purpose of the passage is to _________________.
A．tell the readers cats and dogs do drop from the sky
B．tell the readers of a new meaning about an old saying.
C．show cats and dogs are our good friends.
D．show parachute is an important
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
If you live in the country or have ever visited there, ____ are that you have heard birds singing to welcome the new day.
A.thinks B.facts C.chances D.possibilities
高二英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.Why did the post office in Guyana print their own special stamps?
A.They wanted to make more money.
B.They had only a few usual stamps left.
C.There were no 1-cent or 4-cent stamps then.
2.How much was the l-cent stamp sold for in 1980?
A.A few dollars. B.Seven thousand dollars. C.Seven million dollars.
3.Why are stamps with mistakes so valuable?
A.They are very limited. B.They are very beautiful. C.They were made long ago.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A.The history of the stamps.
B.Things learned from stamps.
C.Reasons for collecting stamps.
高二英语长对话困难题查看答案及解析
Where are the speakers?
A. In the street.
B. In the post office.
C. In a cellphone store.
高二英语短对话中等难度题查看答案及解析