Christina Horsten and Felix Zeltner tried not...

Christina Horsten and Felix Zeltner tried not to panic when they were hit with a $400 rent increase on their Park Slope apartment in 2016, and realized they would have to move for the second time in two years. Instead of feeling intimidated by the unexpected event, they hit upon an unconventional idea: Why not move to a new neighborhood every month for a year?

At first, things went remarkably well. They found their next apartment, a beautiful apartment in Chinatown. The next months brought stops in Staten Island and Harlem. As September approached, their next place to live proved difficult to find. When their Harlem lease (租约) ended, they took a road trip, then fell for a false advertisement in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, when an apartment they found advertised online wasn't actually available to rent. And eventually they got their money back through Paypal. “That was rock bottom,” Ms. Horsten said.

Over the rest of the year, they spent time in a townhouse in Mott Haven, as well as apartments in Chelsea, the East Village, Hell’s Kitchen, and Williamsburg. “In the end, we were like, ‘Why should we even stop doing this?’ ”Ms. Horsten said. But then a lease takeover on Listings Project caught their attention: a two-bedroom apartment atop an Upper West Side townhouse.

A second daughter, Lily, was born in January. And with a newborn, they have no intention of moving again anytime soon. Still, many aspects of their adventure have remained with them. “In the same way that we’ve tried to keep minimalism (极简主义) in our life, we try to stay in touch with all the people we’ve met,” Ms. Horsten said.“We realized it was a lifelong project to try to get to know NewYork City,” she added. But there is one member of the household eagerly waiting for a repeat: their 4-year-old daughter Emma.“ I think she loved it the most,” Ms. Horsten said.“At all the places we stayed, she found things I never noticed: children’s books, a dollhouse, a drum set. Even now, she’s like,‘When are we moving to a new home?’ And we’re like,‘We kind of like it here.’ ”

1.What does the underlined word “intimidated” in Paragraph1 mean?

A.Frightened. B.Surprised.

C.Embarrassed. D.Confused.

2.While looking for a place to stay, where was the couple nearly cheated?

A.In Chinatown. B.In Sunset Park.

C.In Staten Island. D.In Harlem.

3.What’s the couple’s plan for next month?

A.Buying a townhouse in Brooklyn.

B.Staying in the apartment in the Upper West Side.

C.Donating their daughter’s toys to those living nearby.

D.Looking for a two-bedroom apartment for their newborn.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.East or west, home is best. B.Where to start, where to end.

C.Wherever you are, there is home. D.Another month, another neighborhood.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When Boris left school, he could not find a job. He tried hard and he wrote letters to many companies until he could not afford to buy any more stamps. Boris began to lose his confidence, then depressed. Still he went on trying and still he failed. He began to think that he had no future at all.

“Why don’t you start your own business?” one of his uncles told him. “The world is a money-locker. You’d better find a way of opening it.”

“But what can I do?”

“Get out and have a look round.” advised his uncle. “See what people want; then give it to them, and they will pay for it.”

Boris began to cycle around the town and found a suitable piece of waste ground in the end. Then he set up his business as a cycle repairer. He worked hard, made friends with his customers and gradually managed to win his good fame. A few months later, he found that he had more work than he could deal with by himself. He found a number of empty shops but they were all no good: in the wrong position, too expensive or with some other problems. But at long last, he managed to find an empty shop in a new place where there were plenty of customers but no competition.

Boris and his assistant taught themselves how to repair motor-cycles. Slowly but surely the profits increased and the business developed. At last, Boris had managed lo open the money-locker and found bank notes and gold coins inside.

1.What’s the best title for the passage?

A. No Education, No Future.

B. The World Is a Money-locker.

C. Good Fame Is the Key to Success.

D. Difficulty of Starting a Small Business.

2.Which of the following best describes Boris’s job hunting experience?

A. Boring.　　 B. Surprising.

C. Encouraging.　　 D. Disappointing.

3.Boris started his career by ________.

A. repairing cycles　　 B. buying empty shops

C. cycling around the town　　 D. developing a waste ground

4.Boris finally chose an empty shop in a place because ________.

A. it was not so expensive

B. he had a lot of old customers there

C. there were good opportunities there

D. he could make good use of his skills there

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Most people know that awkward feeling when you step into an elevator with other people and try not to make eye contact.

But new research suggests it may be down to a subconscious（潜意识的）power struggle being played out as you make your way up or down.

A study found that people decide where they stand based on a micro social grading, established within seconds of entering the lift.

Rebekah Rousi, a Ph.D. student in cognitive science, conducted an study of elevator behaviour in two of the tallest office buildings in Adelaide, Australia.

As part of her research, she took a total of 30 lift rides in the two buildings, and discovered there was an established order to where people tended stand.

In a blog, she writes that more senior men seemed to direct themselves towards the back of the elevator cabins.

She said: 'In front of them were younger men, and in front of them were women of all ages.'

She also noticed there was a difference in where people directed their stare half way through the ride.

Men watched the monitors(监控器), looked in the side mirrors (in one building) to see themselves, and in the door mirrors (of the other building) to also watch others.

'Women would watch the monitors and avoid eye contact with other users (unless in conversation) and the mirrors,' she writes.

The student concluded it could be that people who are shyer stand toward the front, where they can't see other passengers, whereas brave people stand in the back, where they have a view of everyone else.

1.According to Rebekah Rousi, senior men intend to stand ______ of the elevator cabins.

A. in the front　　　　　　　　　 B. in the middle

C. near the side mirrors　　　 D. at the back

2. The underlined word “ them ” in paragraph 7 refers to ______.

A. senior men　　　　 B. younger women

C. younger men　　　　 D. Women

3.Why do women choose to stand in the front?

A. Because they are too shy to make eye contact with others.

B. Because they can have a view of everyone else.

C. Because they want to show their power.

D. Because they want to watch the monitors.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When Boris left school，he could not find a job．He tried hard and pestered(纠缠)his relatives，but they had problems of their Own. He answered advertisements until he could not afford to buy any more stamps. Boris grew annoyed，then depressed，then a little hardened．Still he went on trying and still he failed．He began to think that he had no future at all.

“Why don’t you start your own business?” one of his uncles told him．“The world is a  money-locker. You’d better find a way of opening it.”

“But what can I do?”

“Get out and have a look round,” advised his uncle in a vague sort of way．“See what people want；then give it to them，and they will pay for it.”

Boris began to cycle around the town and found a suitable piece of a waste ground in the end. Then he set up his business as a cycle repairer．He worked hard，made friends with his customers and gradually managed to build up his goodwill and profit．A few months later, he found that he had more work than he could deal with by himself．He found a number of empty shops but they were all no good：in the wrong position，too expensive or with some other snag(障碍). But at long last，he managed to find an empty shop on a new estate where there were plenty of customers but no competition.

Boris and his assistant taught themselves how to repair scooters and motor-cycles．Slowly  but surely the profits increased and the business developed. At last，Boris had managed to open the money-locker and found bank notes and gold Coins inside．

1.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage ?

A．Goodwill is the key to success．

B．The world is a money-locker

C．No education, no future

D．Difficulty of starting a small business

2.Which of the following best describes Boris’ job hunting experience?

A．Surprising         B．Encouraging        C．Boring            D．Disappointing

3.Boris start his career by ________ .

A．cycling around the town

B．developing a waste ground

C．repairing cycles

D．buying empty shops

4.Boris finally chose an empty shop on a new estate because________.

A．it was not so expensive

B．he had a lot of old customers there

C．he could make good use of his skills there

D．there were good opportunities there

5.We can infer from the last paragraph that Boris________ .

A．still couldn’t make good profits

B．set off in a successful career

C．found a lot of gold coins by accident

D．had great difficulty running his business

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When Boris left school, he could not find a job. He tried hard and pestered (纠缠)his relatives, but they had problems of their own. He answered advertisements until he could not afford to buy any more stamps. Boris grew annoyed, then depressed, then a little hardened. Still he went on trying and still he failed. He began to think that he had no future at all.

“Why don't you start your own business?” one of his uncles told him. “The world is a money-locker. You'd better find a way of opening it.”

“But what can I do？”

“Get out and have a look round,” advised his uncle in a vague sort of way. “See what people want; then give it to them, and they will pay for it.”

Boris began to cycle around the town and found a suitable piece of a waste ground in the end. Then he set up his business as a cycle repairer. He worked hard, made friends with his customers and gradually managed to build up his goodwill and profit. A few months later, he found that he had more work than he could deal with by himself. He found a number of empty shops but they were all no good：in the wrong position，too expensive or with some other snag(障碍)．But at long last, he managed to find an empty shop on a new estate（土地，地区） where there were plenty of customers but no competition.

Boris and his assistant taught themselves how to repair scooters and motorcycles. Slowly but surely the profits increased and the business developed. At last, Boris had managed to open the moneylocker and found bank notes and gold coins inside.

1.Which of the following would be the BEST title for the passage?

A. Goodwill is the key to success

B. The world is a moneylocker

C. No education, no future

D. Difficulty of starting a small business

2.Boris started his career by________.

A. cycling around the town

B. developing a waste ground

C. repairing cycles

D. buying empty shops

3.Boris finally chose an empty shop on a new estate because________.

A. it was not so expensive

B. he had a lot of old customers there

C. he could make good use of his skills there

D. there were good opportunities there

4.We can infer from the last paragraph that Boris______.

A. still couldn't make good profits

B. set off in a successful career

C. found a lot of gold coins by accident

D. had great difficulty running his business

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Sometimes children do not do what their parents tell them to do. When this happens,a parent tries to help the child to do the right thing. When this does not work, the parent usually punishes the child.

There are many things that a parent can do.One thing that people have done is to spank the child. When a parent spanks a child, they will use their hand or a hard object to strike them on their bottom. This is meant to show the child that they have done something wrong.

One parent remembers being spanked when he was a child. His parents used a wooden spoon. When he spanked his own children with his hand, he saw that he put a red mark on his child’s leg. He never did that again.

One problem with spanking is that it teaches the child to hit someone when they do not like what the other person is doing. Another problem with spanking is that the parent is usually angry and can hit the child too hard.Sometimes will use spanking for everything and not try other ways to get the child to do the right thing.

Many parents are not sure of what to do instead of spanking. Some people think that their religion（宗教） tells them that spanking is okay. Some think that the law lets them do it. The courts(法院) say that parents have the right to teach their children how to behave.

Other things should be tried before a parent decides to spank a child. Telling the child exactly what is wanted from them can be one thing. Giving a child more than one choice is another thing that can be tried. Getting down to the child’s level and taking a more child-friendly approach(方法) can help as well.

1.According the passage, when children do something wrong, one thing that parents usually do to punish them is to ________.

A.strike them on the bottom

B. try to help them to do the right thing

C. teach them what to do

D. take them to court

2.What does the underlined word “spank” mean?

A. 打屁股     B. 下跪         C. 罚站                D.打手心

3.Which of the following is NOT the problem caused by spanking?

A. It teaches the child to hit others when they offend him or her.

B. The parent may get angry and hit the child too hard.

C. Sometimes parent may use spanking for everything.

D. It makes parents try other ways to make the child do right.

4.Which of the following can best describe the writer’s attitude towards spanking?

A. favorable    B. indifferent(不关心)   C. interested  D. unfavorable

5.From this passage, we can conclude(作出结论) that _______

A. good children always do the right thing

B. parents should try their best to avoid spanking their children

C. parents have no choice but to spank their children when they do something wrong

D. children can have more than one choice to avoid being spanked

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Sometimes children do not do what their parents tell them to do. When this happens, a parent tries to help the child to do the right thing. When this does not work, the parent usually punishes the child.

There are many things that a parent can do. One thing that people have done is to spank (打屁股) the child. When a parent spanks a child, they will use their hand or a hard object to strike them on their bottom. This is meant to show the child that they have done something wrong.

One parent remembers being spanked when he was a child. His parents used a wooden spoon. When he spanked his own children with his hand, he saw that he put a red mark on his child’s leg. He never did that again.

One problem with spanking is that it teaches the child to hit someone when they do not like what the other person is doing. Another problem with spanking is that the parent is usually angry and can hit the child too hard. Sometimes parents will use spanking for everything and not try other ways to get the child to do the right thing.

Many parents are not sure of what to do instead of spanking. Some people think that their religion tells them that spanking is okay. Some think that the law lets them do it. The courts (法院) say that parents have the right to teach their children how to behave.

Other things should be tried before a parent decides to spank a child. Telling the child exactly what is wanted from them can be one thing. Giving a child more than one choice is another thing that can be tried. Getting down to the child’s level and taking a more child-friendly approach (方法) can help as well.

1.According to the passage, when children do something wrong, one thing that parents usually do to punish them is to ________.

A. strike them on the bottom     B. try to help them do the right thing

C. teach them what to do         D. take them to court

2. Which of the following is NOT the problem caused by spanking?

A. It teaches the child to hit others when they offend（使人不快） him or her.

B. The parent may get angry and hit the child too hard.

C. Sometimes parents may use spanking for everything.

D. It makes parents try other ways to make the child do right.

3.Which of the following can best describe the writer’s attitude towards spanking?

A. favorable  B. indifferent    C. interested  D. unfavorable

4.From this passage, we can conclude that ________.

A. Good children always do the right thing.

B. Parents should try their best to avoid spanking their children.

C. Parents have no choice but to spank their children when they do something wrong.

D. Children can have more than one choice to avoid being spanked.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When you practice reading with passages shorter than book length, do not try to take in each word separately, one after the other. It is much more difficult to grasp the broad theme of the passage this way, and you will also get the stuck on individual words which may not be absolutely essential to a general understanding of the passage. It is a good idea to skim through the passage very quickly first to get the general idea of each paragraph. Titles, paragraph headings and emphasized words can be a great help in getting this skeleton outline of the passage. It is surprising how many people do not read titles, introductions or paragraph headings. Can you, without looking back, remember the title of this passage and the heading of this paragraph?

Most paragraphs of a passage or chapter have a 'topic sentence' which expresses the central idea. The remaining sentences expand or support that idea. It has been estimated that between 50% and 90% of all expositive（说明的）paragraphs in English have the topic sentence first. Always pay special attention to the first sentence of a paragraph, it is most likely to give you the main idea.

Sometimes, though, the first sentence in the paragraph does not have the feel of 'main idea' sentence. It does not seem to give us enough new information to justify a paragraph. The next most likely place to look for the topic sentence is the last sentence of the paragraph.

Remember that the opening and closing paragraphs of a passage or chapter are particularly important. The opening paragraph suggests the general direction and content of the piece, while the closing paragraph often summarizes the very essence（精髓）.

1. It is a good idea to skim through a passage quickly first ____________.

A. at about 315 w.p.m.（words per minute）

B. to get the general idea of each paragraph

C. so that you can take in each work separately

D. to make sure you get to the end at least once

2.The topic sentence of an expository paragraph in English _____________.

A. usually comes in the middle

B. is most likely to be found at the end

C. is most often at the beginning

D. is usually left out in expository writing

3. Most expository paragraphs in English have a clearly defined topic sentence. In such paragraphs the topic sentence comes first _____________.

A. in about 5% of cases                       B in about 80% of cases

C. in about 20% cases                         D. very rarely

4.Sometimes we know the first sentence is not the topic sentence because ____________.

A. it does not seem to give us enough new information

B. it is not long enough

C. it does not come at the beginning

D. it does not make a complete sentence

5.The closing paragraph of a piece of writing ____________.

A. is not really very important

B. is often unnecessary repetition

C. often comes at the end

D. often summarizes the essence of the passage

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

When you practice reading with passages shorter than book length, do not try to take in each word separately, one after the other. It is much more difficult to grasp the broad theme of the passage this way, and you will also get the stuck on individual words which may not be absolutely essential to a general understanding of the passage. It is a good idea to skim through the passage very quickly first to get the general idea of each paragraph. Titles, paragraph headings and emphasized words can be a great help in getting this skeleton outline of the passage. It is surprising how many people do not read titles, introductions or paragraph headings. Can you, without looking back, remember the title of this passage and the heading of this paragraph?

Most paragraphs of a passage or chapter have a 'topic sentence' which expresses the central idea. The remaining sentences expand or support that idea. It has been estimated that between 50% and 90% of all expositive（说明的）paragraphs in English have the topic sentence first. Always pay special attention to the first sentence of a paragraph, it is most likely to give you the main idea.

Sometimes, though, the first sentence in the paragraph does not have the feel of 'main idea' sentence. It does not seem to give us enough new information to justify a paragraph. The next most likely place to look for the topic sentence is the last sentence of the paragraph.

Remember that the opening and closing paragraphs of a passage or chapter are particularly important. The opening paragraph suggests the general direction and content of the piece, while the closing paragraph often summarizes the very essence（精髓）.

1.It is a good idea to skim through a passage quickly first ____________.

A. at about 315 w.p.m.（words per minute）

B. to get the general idea of each paragraph

C. so that you can take in each work separately

D. to make sure you get to the end at least once

2.The topic sentence of an expository paragraph in English _____________.

A. usually comes in the middle

B. is most likely to be found at the end

C. is most often at the beginning

D. is usually left out in expository writing

3.Most expository paragraphs in English have a clearly defined topic sentence. In such paragraphs the topic sentence comes first ________.

A. in about 5% of cases　　　　　　　　　　　　　     B in about 80% of cases

C. in about 20% cases　　　　　　　　　　　　　　     D. very rarely

4.Sometimes we know the first sentence is not the topic sentence because ____________.

A. it does not seem to give us enough new information

B. it is not long enough

C. it does not come at the beginning

D. it does not make a complete sentence

5.The closing paragraph of a piece of writing ____________.

A. is not really very important

B. is often unnecessary repetition

C. often comes at the end

D. often summarizes the essence of the passage

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When you’re abroad, trying to find out who to tip is never straightforward and neither is trying to work out the exact number. To make things even more complicated, the rules for tipping vary greatly from country to country. Also, within each country the rules can change, so what was appropriate last time you visited your favourite country may be completely inappropriate the next time you go. However, here are some general guidelines which might help you on your journeys.

You face your first dilemma as soon as you land at the airport— the taxi ride. Taxi drivers generally do expect tips, but rather than there being an exact amount, people round up the fare or just tell the driver to keep the change.

Your next encounter is with the hotel porter and you know he’s expecting a tip, but the problem is trying to figure out how much. It seems that in many countries round the world $1 per bag would be an appropriate amount.

Then, of course, you have to eat. In some countries such Ireland, Brazil, Poland and Portugal, the customary tip in restaurants is 10-15% unless a service charge is included, so the first rule of thumb is always check the bill. In other countries such as France, Italy, Germany, Australia and Spain, where a 10-15% service charge is either very common or compulsory, you may want to leave an additional tip if you think the service was particularly good, but it certainly isn’t obligatory. However, in some countries it may seem strange if you do leave a tip. In Japan, for example, the waitress might be insulted if you tipped her. In Thailand, if you left a tip, the restaurant staff probably wouldn’t be offended, but you might be pursued down the street by someone thinking you’d forgotten to take your change. In New Zealand, although it’s unlikely anyone would chase after you, you’d definitely get some odd looks if you left a trip.

And your problem with tipping isn’t over when you leave the restaurant. Next you discover the tour guide, the hairdresser and the toilet attendant are all expecting a tip as well, but again, how much? Perhaps the best option in these cases is to ask the local people what is acceptable or observe what others do. Of course, you could simply play safe and tip everyone you meet.

1.The word “dilemma” (in paragraph 2) is closest in meaning to _____________.

A. a difficult situation　　 B. an early opportunity

C. a high expectation　　 D. an exact explanation

2.What does the writer suggest tourists do in countries like Brazil?

A. Never tip waiters or waitresses because they may be offended.

B. Play safe and leave a tip about 12% of the bill after each meal.

C. Make sure whether a service charge is included in the bill before giving tips.

D. Always check whether you have kept all your change before leaving the restaurant.

3.People needn’t tip waiters in _____________.

A. Ireland and France　　 B. Germany and Japan

C. Poland and Italy　　 D. Thailand and New Zealand

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A. Advantages of tipping.　　 B. Rules of tipping.

C. Possible origins of tipping.　　 D. Different opinions on tipping.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析