There is a giant mirror in my hometown, cover...

There is a giant mirror in my hometown, covering one side of a building that I had to walk past to get to school. When I was a teenager, I learned to take a different route. The mirror was clean and shiny, and I saw myself in reflection, plodding (沉重地走) down the hill without grace or charm. Suddenly, I could see the truth so plainly: however long I spent applying makeup or adjusting my outfit or preparing myself to go out, I couldn’t see the “beautiful” me I had imagined.

When I was a teenager, the widespread message that “everyone is beautiful” was deeply rooted in my mind. I admired beauty so much because I often felt awkward as a teenager and beauty seemed to be the most important goal. To be beautiful was to have power over others. It was much more difficult to make a beautiful girl seem foolish than it was an average looking one, I thought.

Eventually I grew up, and my obsession (迷恋), seemingly, faded. Much worse things than not being beautiful happened to me. I was ashamed that at the age of 28, I had to move back home and live with my parents for a whole month because I was too broke to pay the rent. Yet, the embarrassment I felt as a teenager about not fitting some ideal of beauty never went away. The returning awareness of my physical shortcomings, the mirror’s sharp reminder, kept telling me whatever else I am, I would never be that.

After years of trying to be beautiful, now, for the first time, I’m coming to realize that I don’t have to be. I’m increasingly convinced the idea that “everyone is beautiful” isn’t only less important than we might like to believe, but also quite harmful. Wouldn’t it be liberating (使得到释放的) to admit that most people are not beautiful? I wonder what it would be like to grow up in a world where being beautiful is not seen as a necessity, but instead a nice thing some people are born with and some people aren’t, like a talent for swimming, or playing the piano. Some people have other talents.

It has seemed to take up so much of my life, being desperate to not only be acceptable to look at, but also stunning (极美的), exceptional (非凡的) and enchanting (迷人的). What might I have experienced if I had not been trying to achieve “beauty”? What would it have been like to pass that mirror in my hometown, and to see myself — on the way to the library, or a party with friends — and simply felt glad that I was able to do those things with a body that allowed me to?

Everybody is beautiful, we’re told. But why should we have to be?

1.What does the underlined word “outfit” in the first paragraph mean?

A.Attitude. B.Lifestyle.

C.Costume. D.Voice.

2.What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 3?

A.Her obsession with a beautiful appearance was gone as she grew up.

B.She stopped worrying about her appearance because she turned pretty.

C.She still felt embarrassed every time she passed the giant mirror.

D.Her financial trouble kept her from caring about her looks anymore.

3.What’s the purpose of the author in writing this article?

A.To entertain readers with her mirror-related life story.

B.To teach readers that everyone can be beautiful.

C.To criticize those who overrate (高估) their appearances.

D.To convince readers appearances are not a necessity.

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

According to recent reports, one of the rare animals,_____ giant panda, is in_____ danger of dying out.

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

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

One summer I was driving from my hometown of Tahoe City, California, to New Orleans. In the middle of the desert, I came upon a young man standing by the roadside. He had his thumb out and held a gas can in his other hand. I drove right by him. There was a time in the country when you’d be considered a stupid person if you passed by somebody in need. Now you are a fool for helping. With gangs, drug addicts, murderers, thieves everywhere, “I don’t want to get involved” has become a national motto.

Several states later I was still thinking about the hitch-hiker(免费搭车的人). Leaving him standing in the desert did not bother me so much. What bothered me was how easily I had reached the decision. I never even lifted my foot off the accelerator(加速器).

Does anyone stop any more? I wondered. I recalled Blanche DuBois’s family line: “I have always depended on the kindness of the strangers”. Could anyone rely on the kindness of the strangers these days? One way to test this would be for a person to journey from coast to coast without any money, relying only on the good will of his fellow Americans. What kind of Americans would he find? Who would feed him, shelter him, and carry him down the road?

The idea interested me.

So I decided to travel from the Pacific to the Atlantic without a penny. It would be a cashless journey through the land of the almighty dollar. I would only accept offers of rides, food and a place to rest my head. My final destination would be Cape Fear in North Carolina, a symbol of all the fears I’d have to conquer during the trip.

I rose early on September 6, 1994, and headed for the Golden Gate Bridge with a 50-pound pack on my back and a sign displaying my destination to passing vehicles: “America”.

For six weeks I hitched 82 rides and covered 4,223 miles across 14 states. As I traveled, folks were always warning me about someplace else. In Montana they told me to watch out for the cowboys in Wyoming; in Nebraska they said people would not be as nice as in Iowa. Yet I was amazed by people’s readiness to help a stranger, even when it seemed against their own best interests.

1.Why did the author drive past the young man in the desert without stopping?

A. Because he failed to notice this man.

B. Because he was driving too fast.

C. Because he was afraid of being cheated.

D. Because he thought the young man didn’t need help.

2.What was it that made the author upset?

A. Making the decision of not offering help so easily.

B. Leaving the young man alone in the desert.

C. Being considered a fool.

D. Keeping thinking about the young man.

3.What is the structure of the text?

A. ①—②③④—⑤—⑥⑦

B. ①②—③④—⑤⑥⑦

C. ①②—③④⑤⑥—⑦

D. ①②③—④—⑤⑥⑦

4.The author decided to travel without a penny in order to ___________.

A. find out how long he could survive without help

B. figure out how strangers thought of his plan

C. go through the great difficulty in surviving unexpected environment

D. find out whether strangers would offer help to him

5.The following part might probably___________.

A. describe how the author fooled the strangers

B. describe how strangers went out their way to help the author

C. explain why people refused to help strangers

D. explain how the author overcame his difficulties on the way

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Death Valley is one of the most famous deserts in the United States, covering a wide area with its alkali sand. Almost 20 percent of this area is well below sea level, and Badwater, a salt water pool, is about 280 feet below sea level and the lowest point in the United States.

Long ago the Panamint Indians called this place “Tomesha”— the land of fire. Death Valley’s present name dates back to 1849, when a group of miners coming across from Nevada became lost in its unpleasantness and hugeness and their adventure turned out to be a sad story. Today Death Valley has been declared a National Monument(纪念碑) and is crossed by several well-marked roads where good services can be found easily. Luckily the change created by human settlement has hardly ruined the special beauty of this place.

Here nature created a lot of surprising, almost like the sights on the moon, ever-changing as the frequent wind moves the sand about, showing the most unusual colors. One of the most astonishing and variable parts of Death Valley is the Devil’ s Golf Course, where it seems hard for one to tell reality from terrible dreams. Sand sculptures(沙雕) stand on a frightening ground, as evening shadows move and lengthen.

1.______ is the lowest place in the desert.

A.　 Tomesha　　 B. Death Valley

C. Nevada　　 D. Badwater

2.The name of the valley comes from _______.

A. an Indian name　　 B. the death of the miners

C. the local people　　 D. a National Movement

3.From the passage we can learn that _______.

A. no one had ever known the desert before the miners

B. it’s still not easy to travel across the desert

C. people can find gas-stations, cafes and hotels in the desert

D. people have changed the natural sight of the desert

4.Devil Golf Course is famous for _______.

A. the frequent wind　　 B. the colors of the sand

C. dream-like sights　　 D. the sand sculptures

5.From the passage we can see that the writer _______ the Death Valley.

A. appreciates　　 B. is fearful of

C. dislikes　　　 D. is tired of

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Death Valley is one of the most famous deserts in the United States, covering a wide area with its alkali sand. Almost 20 percent of this area is well below sea level, and Badwater, a salt water pool, is about 280 feet below sea level and the lowest point in the United States.

Long ago the Panamint Indians called this place “Tomesha”— the land of fire. Death Valley’s present name dates back to 1849, when a group of miners coming across from Nevada became lost in its unpleasantness and hugeness and their adventure turned out to be a sad story. Today Death Valley has been declared a National Monument(纪念碑) and is crossed by several well-marked roads where good services can be found easily. Luckily the change created by human settlement has hardly ruined the special beauty of this place.

Here nature created a lot of surprising, almost like the sights on the moon, ever-changing as the frequent wind moves the sand about, showing the most unusual colors. One of the most astonishing and variable parts of Death Valley is the Devil’ s Golf Course, where it seems hard for one to tell reality from terrible dreams. Sand sculptures(沙雕) stand on a frightening ground, as evening shadows move and lengthen.

1._______ is the lowest place in the desert.

A. Tomesha　 　 B. Death Valley

C. Nevada 　 D. Badwater

2.The name of the valley comes from _______.

A. an Indian name

B. the death of the miners

C. the local people

D. a National Movement

3.From the passage we can learn that _______.

A. no one had ever known the desert before the miners

B. it’s still not easy to travel across the desert

C. people can find gas-stations, cafes and hotels in the desert

D. people have changed the natural sight of the desert

4.Devil Golf Course is famous for _______.

A. the frequent wind　 　 B. the colors of the sand

C. dream-like sights　 　 D. the sand sculptures

5.From the passage we can see that the writer _______ the Death Valley.

A. appreciates B. is fearful of

C. dislikes　 　　 D. is tired of

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Temperature is part of my married romance. 36  to New York from Baltimore——where there is just one small snowstorm each year——I was seated by a fireplace in my new home, with fires 37  all day, just as what ancient people did at a wedding.

My husband, Peter, comes from northern Ontario（加拿大的安大略省）, where winter 38  from September to May and cold wind is 39 . “When Canadians have -30℃, they 40  it bravely,” he says, “Cold wind is for crybabies.（爱哭的人）”

So to marry this man I had to learn to 41  for serious cold. To get me from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor to Albany’s frozen Hudson, Peter piled me 42  jackets and sweaters, scarves and gloves, even a hat with earflaps. The gift of Sorel boots——comfortably warm at Canada’s 30 below, was a 43  meaning getting serious.

That first winter together, living in upstate New York, I thought I’d 44 . My boots were good below freezing, but my fingers could 45  tie them. Physical adaptation is real, but it came slowly. And there is also emotional 46  to cold. Some days I tell myself that I have enough beach memories to stick to on 47   days and other days I am reminded that living cold does indeed build 48 .

49 , having a warm house is important. After my first marriage ended, for years I 50  went on a second date with a man whose response to my “I’m cold.” was, “Put on a sweater.” Now I’m married to a man who 51  that cold hands do not mean a warm heart, and that a big oil bill is better than roses. But surprisingly, I’ve grown, too. I am 52 , in this new life and climate, to go and look for that cost-saving sweater.

The word comfortable did not 53  refer to being satisfied. It’s from Latin, comfortare, meaning to strengthen. The Holy Spirit is Comforter；not to make us comfortable, but to make us 54 . We 55  not be warm but we are indeed comforted.

1.A.    Coming                    B.    Having been coming

C.  To come               D.    Came

2.A.    lightning   B.  burning     C.  going       D.  flashing

3.A.    appears     B.  starts      C.  keeps       D.  runs

4.A.    something   B.  everything  C.  nothing     D.  none

5.A.    suggest     B.  face            C.  neglect     D.  love

6.A.    drink       B.  receive     C.  dress       D.  ride

7.A.    under       B.  over        C.  inside      D.  with

8.A.    remark      B.  sign            C.  comment D.  show

9. A.   sleep                     B.    forget

C.  die                      D. continue

10. A.  hardly      B.  easily      C.  tightly     D.  loosely

11.A.   health                    B.    reaction

C.  feelings                  D.    adaptation

12.A.   rainy       B.  freezing        C.  sunny       D.  happy

13.A.   character                 B.    love

C.  hope                      D.    hardship

14.A.   Meanwhile                 B.    However

C.  Therefore                 D.    Besides

15.A.   merely      B.  ever        C.  never       D.  just

16.A.   wonders B.  knows       C.  states      D.  decides

17.A.   unable                    B.    accustomed

C.  interested                D.    willing

18.A.   originally  B.  exactly     C.  actually        D.  namely

19.A.   wild        B.  cold        C.  strong      D.  warm

20.A.   will            B.  must        C.  can         D.  may

高二英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

One cold night, I was growing sick of my life in San Francisco．There I was walking home around one o’clock in the morning after a 31 practice at the theatre. With the opening night only a week away, I was still learning my lines by heart. I was having 32  handling my part-time job at the bank in the daytime and my acting at night at the same time. As I walked, I thought seriously about33  both acting and San Francisco. I had 34  too much of city life.

As I walked down the 35  streets under the tall buildings, I felt very small and cold, so I began36  both to keep warm and to keep away from any possible robbers. Very few people were still out37  a few homeless people under blankets.

About a block from my38, I heard a sound behind me. I 39 quickly, half expecting to see someone with a knife or a gun. The street was empty. All I saw was a shining streetlight. Still, the noise had made me 40  so I started to run faster. Not until I reached my apartment building and unlocked the door did I 41  what the noise had been. It had been my wallet 42  to the sidewalk.

Suddenly I wasn’t cold or tired anymore. I ran out of the door and back to where I’d heard the noise. Although I searched the sidewalk43  for 15 minutes, my wallet was 44  to be found.

Just as I was about to quit the45  , I heard the garbage truck stop to the sidewalk next to46  . When a voice came from the inside, “Alisa Camacho?” I thought I was dreaming. How could this man know my name? The door opened and out jumped a small blonde(金发碧眼的) man with an47  look in his eyes. “Is this 48  you’re looking for?” He asked, holding up something like a wallet.

It was already 3 a.m. by the time I got into bed. I couldn’t get much sleep, but I had got my wallet back. I also had got back some49  of city life. I realized the city couldn’t be a bad place50  people were willing to help each other.

高二英语完型填空困难题查看答案及解析

In my class in middle school, there was a girl who was considered the outcast of our class. No one actually knows how this exclusion originated, but we all followed it for no reason at all. One day after lunch, we girls sat on the track field, talking about little things that happened in our little lives. Someone brought her up, and soon the topic transformed to mocking the funny texture of her hair, the awkward way she walked and…. I felt extremely uncomfortable but kept silent, because I didn’t want to be the one “supporting” the common enemy. After all, it’s just a mild ranting session among a trusted group of friends, why should I bring unnecessary tension?

Suddenly, one of my friends pointed her finger towards somewhere behind me. All of us turned around and saw that exact girl, hand still in the air, with a twisted look on her face. She lowered her hand in slow motion, blinked really hard for a few seconds, then turned around and ran off. For a second I wanted to stand up and chase her down to tell her that no one meant what they said, and that she is an amazing person being who she is. But my legs felt so heavy: I didn’t want to make a fool out of myself—why bother taking care of the class clown（小丑）? People would think that I was crazy as well!

No one spoke a word for a long time; we were all so caught up in our thoughts. I tried opening my mouth but couldn’t—no words were coming out. Then one person started talking about the weather, and all of us were more than glad to follow this flow.

A few weeks later, the teacher told us that a classmate dropped out of school—it was that girl. Her parents told the school that it was the peer pressure that made her want to leave. The teacher wanted to know who the bully was. Again, no one spoke a word. Perhaps it was exactly this cold, hard silence that drove her away. I certainly did not raise my hand—I had never even said anything bad about her; it was my friends who loved to make fun of her awkwardness every day.

Surely, I didn’t bully her physically or with my language, but I kept silent when others did. By failing to stand up for her and offering her support, I was giving tacit（心照不宣的）agreement. This agreement made others think that it was okay to mistreat her, because “no one cares anyways”. Perhaps I did realize I was bullying her—but by convincing myself that I had nothing to do with her leaving, I wouldn’t have to bear the burden of heavy shame on my shoulders.

Real life is not like a Hollywood movie, and the protagonists don’t always have the courage to compensate for our mistakes. In that classroom, my feet were glued to the ground once again, thinking of all the possibilities that could embarrass me in front of the whole class. What if she doesn’t appreciate my effort and just walk off? What if she misunderstands my actions as sympathy and gets upset? Worst of all, what if my own group mates disapprove of my decision? Am I really willing to risk my friendship just to help out one girl that I’ve seldom spoken to?

To be honest, I still don’t have answers to these questions. I don’t know if the answers to those questions even exist. However, what I do know is that nothing will change if I keep thinking and never take actions. Talking to someone in need of support would mean the world to them, while it takes little to none effort for me. So what if those actions are under appreciated? At least I will be satisfied knowing that I did the right thing.

1.What can we conclude from the underlined sentences in Paragraph 2?

A. The author cared about others’ opinions.　　 B. The author’s legs gave out after running.

C. The author was fooled by the classmates.　　 D. The author didn’t like the class clown.

2.Why did the girl drop out of school?

A. Because she had to support her family.　　 B. Because she was bullied by her peers.

C. Because she was scolded by her teacher.　　 D. Because she had conflicts with her peers.

3.Seeing the girl being bullied, the author felt ___________.

A. cheerful and amused　　 B. surprised and stressed

C. frightened and awkward　　 D. uncomfortable and concerned

4.The author didn’t support the girl for the following reasons EXCEPT that ___________.

A. the author wanted to follow the flow

B. the author didn’t want to betray friends

C. the author was prevented by the group mates

D. the author worried about the girl’s misunderstanding

5.Who does the underlined word “protagonists” in Paragraph 5 refer to?

A. people living in real life　　 B. people in Hollywood movies

C. people who are bullied　　 D. people who respect others

6.What will the writer probably do when meeting the same situation next time?

A. She will keep silent and walk away.　　 B. She will stand up for her group mates.

C. She will report the case to the teacher.　　 D. She will not tolerate bullying again.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

One of my happiest memories as a child is going by the river and sitting lazily on the bank. There I would watch the water ________ downstream. There I would also watch the bamboo trees ________ under pressure from the wind and watch them ________ elegantly to their original position after the wind had ________. When I think about the bamboo tree’s ________ to bounce back(弹回) to its original position, the word flexibility(柔韧) ________ to mind. When used in relation to a person, this word means the ability to ________ from shock, depression or any other situation that extends the limits of a person. Have you ever felt like you are at your ________ point? ________, you have survived the experience to live to talk about it, though during the experience, you felt emotionally(情感上的) tired, mentally exhausted and you even felt ________ physically.

Life is a ________ of good times and bad times. The next time you are experiencing one of those bad times that take you ________ to your breaking point, bend but don’t break. Try your best not to let the situation get the best of you.

1.A. flow      B. rush           C. go                        D. come

2.A. break     B. move          C. bend                     D. tremble

3.A. return     B. stay           C. give   D. fly

4.A. died from   B. died out    C. died down           D. died off

5.A. power      B. ability        C. energy          D. strength

6.A. strikes        B. goes        C. appears               D. comes

7.A. recover     B. calm         C. comfort                 D. sink

8.A. high        B. low           C. breaking              D. returning

9.A. Thankfully   B. Hopefully         C. Surprisingly          D. Happily

10.A. relaxed  B. terrible        C. strong            D. terrified

11.A. lesson      B. mixture          C. connection   D. stage

12.A. away       B. far       C. close                     D. fast

高二英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Dear Economist,

My newly-wedded wife and I are deeply in love．There is, however, one issue that threatens the happiness of our marriage．I absolutely insist on shopping at Walmart．My wife, meanwhile, would rather avoid Walmart at all costs．

　I have recently tried to convince her that not only does Walmart offer the lowest prices known to man, but that the chain is also a force for good―lower prices mean better standards of living for all consumers, increased global trade means a tighter-knit(紧密团结的) international community, and efficient operations translate into higher productivity growth for the economy．My wife complains about poor labour policies, the “fact” that Walmart squeezes suppliers, and that it puts local shops out of business．

　Who is right? Will our marriage survive?

Brian Gee

Dear Brian,

I have to agree with you about Walmart．Jason Furman, then an economist at New York University, now an adviser to President Obama, famously argued in 2005 that Walmart was unwittingly (不知不觉地) a progressive success story．The chain’s prices don’t much affect me (I prefer Whole Foods) but Furman estimated that they benefited low-and-middle-income Americans to the sum of around $250 billion a year．

　Walmart does not pay much, so it may depress wages．Then again, it may increase wages by offering jobs to the otherwise-unemployed．Either way, the benefits of low prices to Walmart shoppers far outweigh any seemingly reasonable costs to Walmart employees．And while it is true that Walmart employees tend to be poor, the same is true of Walmart shoppers．

　Armed with this information you can face your wife with confidence．You are sure to win the conversation．The divorce is likely to be more argued．

Economist

1.What concerns Brian Gee so much that he wrote the letter?

2.Brian Gee’s wife tends to hold the opinion that _________．

3.What can be inferred from the reply letter?

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析