The concept of culture has been defined many times, and although no definition has achieved universal acceptance, most of the definitions include three central ideas: that culture is passed on from generation to generation, that a culture represents a ready-made principle for living and for making day-to-day decisions, and, finally, that the components of a culture are accepted by those in the culture as good, and true, and not to be questioned. The eminent anthropologist George Murdock has listed seventy-three items that characterize every known culture, past and present.
The list begins with Age-grading and Athletic sports, runs to Weaning and Weather Control, and includes on the way such items as Calendar, Fire making, Property Rights, and Tool making. I would submit that even the most extreme advocate of a culture of poverty viewpoint would readily acknowledge that, with respect to almost all of these items, every American, beyond the first generation immigrant, regardless of race or class, is a member of a common culture. We all share pretty much the same sports. Maybe poor kids don’t know how to play polo, and rich kids don’t spend time with stickball, but we all know baseball, football, and basketball. Despite some misguided efforts to raise minor dialects to the status of separate tongues, we all, in fact, share the same language.
There may be differences in diction and usage, but it would be ridiculous to say that all Americans don’t speak English. We have the calendar, the law, and large numbers of other cultural items in common. It may well be true that on a few of the seventy-three items there are minor variations between classes, but these kinds of things are really slight variations on a common theme.
There are other items that show variability, not in relation to class, but in relation to religion and ethnic background — funeral customs and cooking, for example. But if there is one place in America where the melting pot is a reality, it is on the kitchen stove; in the course of one month, half the readers of this sentence have probably eaten pizza, hot pastrami, and chow mein. Specific differences that might be identified as signs of separate cultural identity are relatively insignificant within the general unity of American life; they are cultural commas and semicolons in the paragraphs and pages of American life.
1.According to the author’s definition of culture, ________.
A. a culture should be accepted and maintained universally
B. a culture should be free from falsehood and evils
C. the items of a culture should be taken for granted by people
D. the items of a culture should be accepted by well-educated people
2.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Baseball, football and basketball are popular sports in America.
B. Different classes have different cultures.
C. Playing polo is popular among kids.
D. There is no variation in using the American language.
3.It can be inferred that ________ will most probably be included in the seventy-three items.
| A. accent | B. polo | C. dream patterns | D. table manners |
4.The author’s main purpose in writing this passage is to ________.
A. prove that different people have different definitions of culture
B. warn that variations exist as far as a culture is concerned
C. indicate that culture is closely connected with social classes
D. show that the idea that the poor or the rich establish a separate culture is an absurdity
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
The concept of culture has been defined many times, and although no definition has achieved universal acceptance, most of the definitions include three central ideas: that culture is passed on from generation to generation, that a culture represents a ready-made principle for living and for making day-to-day decisions, and, finally, that the components of a culture are accepted by those in the culture as good, and true, and not to be questioned. The eminent anthropologist George Murdock has listed seventy-three items that characterize every known culture, past and present.
The list begins with Age-grading and Athletic sports, runs to Weaning and Weather Control, and includes on the way such items as Calendar, Fire making, Property Rights, and Tool making. I would submit that even the most extreme advocate of a culture of poverty viewpoint would readily acknowledge that, with respect to almost all of these items, every American, beyond the first generation immigrant, regardless of race or class, is a member of a common culture. We all share pretty much the same sports. Maybe poor kids don’t know how to play polo, and rich kids don’t spend time with stickball, but we all know baseball, football, and basketball. Despite some misguided efforts to raise minor dialects to the status of separate tongues, we all, in fact, share the same language.
There may be differences in diction and usage, but it would be ridiculous to say that all Americans don’t speak English. We have the calendar, the law, and large numbers of other cultural items in common. It may well be true that on a few of the seventy-three items there are minor variations between classes, but these kinds of things are really slight variations on a common theme.
There are other items that show variability, not in relation to class, but in relation to religion and ethnic background — funeral customs and cooking, for example. But if there is one place in America where the melting pot is a reality, it is on the kitchen stove; in the course of one month, half the readers of this sentence have probably eaten pizza, hot pastrami, and chow mein. Specific differences that might be identified as signs of separate cultural identity are relatively insignificant within the general unity of American life; they are cultural commas and semicolons in the paragraphs and pages of American life.
1.According to the author’s definition of culture, ________.
A. a culture should be accepted and maintained universally
B. a culture should be free from falsehood and evils
C. the items of a culture should be taken for granted by people
D. the items of a culture should be accepted by well-educated people
2.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Baseball, football and basketball are popular sports in America.
B. Different classes have different cultures.
C. Playing polo is popular among kids.
D. There is no variation in using the American language.
3.It can be inferred that ________ will most probably be included in the seventy-three items.
| A. accent | B. polo | C. dream patterns | D. table manners |
4.The author’s main purpose in writing this passage is to ________.
A. prove that different people have different definitions of culture
B. warn that variations exist as far as a culture is concerned
C. indicate that culture is closely connected with social classes
D. show that the idea that the poor or the rich establish a separate culture is an absurdity
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In the countries of South and Southeast Asia, the elephant has been an important part of the culture, economy and religion for centuries．And nowhere more so than in Thailand．Unlike its African cousin, the Asian elephant is easily domesticated（驯化）．The rare so-called white elephants have actually lent the power of royalty to its rulers，and until the 1920s the national flag was a white elephant on a red background．To the early Western visitors, the country's romantic name was“ Land of the White Elephant"．
Today, however, the story is very different．Out of work and out of land, the Thai elephant struggles for survival in a nation that no longer needs it．The elephant has found itself more or less deserted by previous owners who have moved on to a different economic world and a society in the western part．And while the elephant's problems began many years ago, now it has a very low national advantage．
How does the national symbol turn into ignored animals? It is a story of worse environment and the changing lives of the Thais themselves．According to Richard Lair, Thailand's expert on the Asian elephant and author of the report Gone Astray, at the turn of the last century, there may well have been as many as 100,000 national elephants in the country．
In the north of Thailand alone, it was estimated（估计）that more than 20,000 elephants were employed in transport, 1,000 of them alone on the road between the cities of Chiang Mai and Chiang Saen．
This was at a time when 90 percent of Thailand was still forest---a habitat that not only supported the animals but also made them necessary to carry goods and people．Nothing ploughs through thick forest better than lots of sure-footed elephants．
By 1950 the elephant population had dropped, but still to the number of 13, 397．However, today there are probably no more than 3,800, with another l,350 wandering free in the national parks．But now, Thailand's forest covers only 20 percent of the land．This deforestation（采伐森林）is the central point of the elephant's difficult situation, for it has effectively put the animals out of work．This century, as the road network grew, the elephant's role as a beast of burden decreased．
1.What can we know about African elephants from the passage?
A. It is of little value to domesticate them．
B. It is hard to domesticate them．
C. They are living a better life than Asian elephants
D. Their fate is quite similar to that of Asian elephants．
2.Thailand was once called "Land of the White Elephant" because ________．
A. white elephant was a national symbol until the 1920s
B. white elephant is rarely seen and thus very special
C. white elephant has helped kings to gain the ruling power
D. this name was so romantic that it was popular among visitors
3.Why is the Thai elephant "out of work", according to the author?
A. Because there are too many elephants but too few jobs．
B. Because the elephants can't do labor work any longer．
C. Because the government pays little attention to the problem．
D. Because the elephants are no longer useful to their owners．
4.The passage is most probably from ________．
A. a travel guide B. a history book
C. a popular science magazine D. an official announcement
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Many times, the weather forecast has been incorrect and we have missed out what has ________ to be a fine day for outdoor activities.
A. left out B. broke out C. set out D. turned out
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
The teaching building of our school_____ for many times.
| A．has been added to | B．has added to |
| C．has been added up to | D．has added up to |
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
How many times have you been discouraged by obstacles and difficulties? Most of the time, we think that there is some sort of outside force that prevents us from being happy． Well, the truth is －that“ force" you are thinking of is actually your ．
Yes, your own attitude is may prevent you from achieving fulfillment（成就感）． Although the heart is the lifeline of the body, _ , the brain actually affects your entire being． If you tell yourself that you are not good enough, then eventually, the body does the same． Knowing this, you must condition your consciousness into thinking that you can have a fulfilling life．
People around you may sometimes tell you that you cannot do certain things, but who are they to your life journey? If you tell yourself that people often pull you down in an effort to bring you to their （low） level, then you a small victory． Take that the ones who say that you can never be successful are the ones who are in their own lives． Those losers are not supposed to spoil your life． You are only what you yourself to be．
Learning to believe in yourself is overcoming ．Many people are afraid of trying because they are afraid of failing．Remember the _, and then being able to overcome it is a victory in itself． So you create a strong belief in yourself． your limits, ever if that means more , and condition your spirit into realizing that all these help you achieve your true strength as a person．Once you learn this, you will quickly find that you are able to do much more than you even that you could．
The single most important to becoming successful in any area of your life comes clown to the way you think． Spend time every day feeding your mind with powerful education, mindset（思维模式）and knowledge and find other successful people to see what they did that you can start to ．
1.A．naturally B． willingly C． unbelievably D． accidentally
2.A．positive B． interesting C． negative D． optimistic
3.A．body B． mind C． heart D． life
4.A．which B． that C． what D． why
5.A．on the other hand B． on the contrary C． as a result D． in a word
6.A． carefully B． rudely C． gently D． unconsciously
7.A． meanwhile B． otherwise C． seldom D． therefore
8.A． continue B． break C． plan D． strike
9.A． decline B． achieve C． expect D． miss
10.A． charge B． control C． part D． note
11.A． unfortunateB． unsuccessful C． unimportant D． unrealistic
12.A． allow B． make C． force D． object
13.A． shame B． mistake C． crisis D． fear
14.A． punishmentB． story C． failure D． assessment
15.A． Lower B． Establish C． Challenge D． Follow
16.A． defeats B． admiration C． inspiration D． findings
17.A． victories B． falls C． experience D． doubts
18.A． broadcast B． imagined C． sentenced D． caught
19.A． lesson B． similarity C． shelter D． key
20.A． model B． submit C． share D． interview
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Expo 2010 Shanghai has been an extraordinary celebration of global business and culture, and it has also provided a fantastic model for Expo 2015 Milan ____________managing and organizing events of this scale.
| A．in return for | B．in terms of | C．in exchange for | D．in spite of |
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
March 21 has been declared World Sleep Day, a time to recognize and celebrate the value of sleep. Many sleep experts hope it will be a wake-up call.
According to a poll (民意调查)by the National Sleep Foundation, nearly 4 in 5 Americans don’t get as much sleep as they should during the workweek. On average, adults are thought to need at least eight hours of sleep a night, although some can manage with less and some won’t do well without more. But the survey found that, on workdays, only 21% of Americans actually get a full eight hours of sleep, and another 21% get less than six.
To many of us, the thought of spending more time sleeping is, well, a big yawn. On the other hand, the thought of being smarter, thinner, healthier and more cheerful has a certain appeal. And those are just a few of the advantages that can be ours if we consistently get enough sleep, researchers say. Also on the plus side: We’re likely to have better skin, better memories, better judgment, and, oh, yes, longer lives.
“When you lose even one hour of sleep for any reason, it influences your performance the next day,” says Dr. Alon Avidan, director of the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center.
A study published last year found the same to be true even of children. When kids aged 8 to 12 slept for just one hour less for four nights, they didn’t function as well during the day.
But sleeping has an image problem. “We see napping or sleeping as lazy,” says Jennifer Vriend, a clinical psychologist in Ottawa, Canada, and the leading author of the study with children. “We put so much emphasis on diet, nutrition and exercise. Sleep is in the back seat.” In fact, she adds, no matter how much we work out, no matter how well we eat, we can’t be in top physical shape unless we also get plenty of sleep.
1.The underlined part in Paragraph 1 means _____.
A.to wake up the sleepers
B.to serve as a morning call
C.to draw people’s attention
D.to declare the special day
2.From Paragraph 3 we can infer that _______.
A.being healthier is one of the advantages for us
B.enough sleep is the guarantee of the appealing things
C.sleeping has nothing to do with one’s expectations
D.spending more time on sleeping is a waste of time
3.What Jennifer Vriend said in the last paragraph implies that _______.
A.people care little about sleeping
B.sleeping is an image problem
C.lazy people tend to sleep long
D.sleeping is only part of our life
4.What is the purpose of the passage?
A.to talk about people’s sleeping problems.
B.to provide an investigation result of sleeping.
C.to stress the function of sleeping at night.
D.to arouse the awareness of enough sleeping.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Magic is the performance of tricks. It has been a part of almost every culture in the world. Magic shows might include a disappearing act, card tricks, or pulling a rabbit out of a hat. But what could that have to do with health?
Kevin Spencer, an American magician goes beyond just entertaining crowds. He also makes magic to improve the lives of people with disabilities.
What made him change the focus of his work was an accident. It took him almost a year to regain the skills he'd lost as a result of the accident and this made him think about using magic tricks as a tool for healing. So Spencer started conducting workshops all over the world. He teaches magic tricks to children and adults with disabilities.
Mr. Spencer says magic therapy（疗法） may seem non-traditional. But many skills needed to perform a good magic trick are used in traditional forms of therapy - physical movement, thinking, understanding and social skills are all there. And that social connection with other people can also help people feel better about themselves and increase their confidence.
Liam Shannon is an example. Liam has a brain disorder that can make learning and connecting with people difficult. People with severe brain disorder may also have trouble understanding complex emotions. The 10-year-old boy said after he learned a few simple tricks, he felt many different emotions. " It made me feel happy and proud. It was great! " Liam said.
Kevin Spencer says seeing kids like Liam come alive is better than all the applause in the world. “We can be on a stage and get the applause of thousands of people, but that is nothing compared to the smile that comes across a kid's face and when they say 'Look! I did it!' and it's like, 'yeah, you did!" .
He says he plans to spend more time working with people with disabilities.
1.What do you think of Kevin Spencer?
A. Kind B. Humorous.
C. Brave. D. Honest
2.Magic therapy is similar to traditional forms of therapy in_____________.
A. the use of tools B. the use of skills
C. the length of history D. the variety of forms
3.The author mentioned Liam Shannon in the text in order to ____________..
A. show Liam Shannon likes magic very much
B. tell us Liam Shmnon has a talent for magic
C. prove the success of Kevin Spencer's magic therapy
D. explain the connection between magic and personality
4.What is mainly talked about in the text?
A. Magic is an interesting performance.
B. Kevin Spencer is popular with children.
C. Kevin Spencer has a deep love for magic.
D. Kevin Spencer use magic to help the disabled.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
The historic center of Vienna has been added to UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage list．Thus, St．Stephen's Cathedral, the Imperial Palace and many other historic buildings are now recognized as being among the 700 outstanding cultural and natural monuments of mankind - others include the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur, the historic center of Rome, the Kremlin with the Red Square, the Chinese Wall, the Taj Mahal and the Grand Canyon．
Vienna's historic center, in its unity, is considered one of the most beautiful city landmarks in Europe．Three eras left their mark on the former residence of the Habsburgs: the Middle Ages with Gothic St．Stephen's Cathedral whose spire points toward heaven, one of Vienna's landmarks; the Baroque whose most important achievement is the Imperial Palace with its sumptuous cupolas（奢华的圆顶）．And the Ring Boulevard era of the late nineteenth century, when such splendid buildings as the Vienna State Opera and the Museum of Fine Arts were built to replace the former city walls．
The imperial flair of the center of Vienna is enhanced (加强) by numerous churches, mansions and parks, as well as by rich art collections gathered by wealthy rulers．And the centuries-old musical tradition ranges from the Court Chapel of the Imperial Palace to Mozart's immortal（不朽的）music and the waltzes of Johann Strauss．Also inseperably linked to the center of the city are the delights of Viennese cuisine, the gemütlichkeit of Viennese coffeehouses and nostalgic shopping at former purveyors（伙食承办商）to the imperial court．
1.Which of the following is not mentioned as cultural and natural monuments of man-kind?
A． the Taj Mahal
B． the Pyramid Fields
C． the Kremlin with the Red Square
D． the Court Chapel
2.The second paragraph is developed mainly by ____．
A． following the order of place
B． providing examples
C． making comparisons
D． analyzing causes
3.What does the underlined words “imperial flair” in the last paragraph mean?
A． culture atmosphere
B． art style
C． royal style
D． royal palace
4.What is the passage mainly about ?
A． The universal value of the world heritage in Vienna
B． Vienna’s becoming one of the cultural and natural monuments of mankind
C． The introduction of the historic center of Vienna
D． The special culture atmosphere of the historic center of Vienna
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The historic center of Vienna has been added to UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage list. Thus, St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Imperial Palace and many other historic buildings are now recognized as being among the 700 outstanding cultural and natural monuments of mankind - others include the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur, the historic center of Rome, the Kremlin with the Red Square, the Chinese Wall, the Taj Mahal and the Grand Canyon.
Vienna's historic center, in its unity, is considered one of the most beautiful city landmarks in Europe. Three eras left their mark on the former residence of the Habsburgs: the Middle Ages with Gothic St. Stephen's Cathedral whose spire points toward heaven, one of Vienna's landmarks; the Baroque whose most important achievement is the Imperial Palace with its sumptuous cupolas (奢华的圆顶). And the Ring Boulevard era of the late nineteenth century, when such splendid buildings as the Vienna State Opera and the Museum of Fine Arts were built to replace the former city walls.
The imperial flair of the center of Vienna is enhanced (加强) by numerous churches, mansions and parks, as well as by rich art collections gathered by wealthy rulers. And the centuries-old musical tradition ranges from the Court Chapel of the Imperial Palace to Mozart's immortal (不朽的) music and the waltzes of Johann Strauss. Also inseperably linked to the center of the city are the delights of Viennese cuisine, the gemütlichkeit of Viennese coffeehouses and nostalgic shopping at former purveyors (伙食承办商) to the imperial court.
1.Which of the following is not mentioned as cultural and natural monuments of
man-kind?
A. the Taj Mahal
B. the Pyramid Fields
C. the Kremlin with the Red Square
D. the Court Chapel
2.The second paragraph is developed mainly by ____.
A. following the order of place B. providing examples
C. making comparisons D. analyzing causes
3.What does the underlined words “imperial flair” in the last paragraph mean?
A. culture atmosphere B. art style
C. royal style D. royal palace
4.What is the passage mainly about ?
A. The universal value of the world heritage in Vienna
B. Vienna’s becoming one of the cultural and natural monuments of mankind
C. The introduction of the historic center of Vienna
D. The special culture atmosphere of the historic center of Vienna
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析