For years, my time spent in the shower could ...

For years, my time spent in the shower could have got me a mention in Guinness World Records as the shortest time taken to bathe. I hurried up during this process.

One day, however, while at a party, I heard an artist friend telling everybody that his idea came while he was having a shower. “What about you?” he asked, “Don’t you get your creative thoughts from the same place?”

“I’m in and out in a hurry,” I told him proudly. “I have no time to waste!”

“What a pity,” he said. “That’s the place where you need to slow down; plenty of great thoughts come from there!” I tried it out. I slowed down the whole process, started enjoying the warm water, taking a little longer to soap myself and even spending more time just enjoying the process, and realized how much I had missed in hurrying up all these years.

A woman told me how much stress her friend was suffering from and how she sought to convince her that she needed to find ways to relax. She gave her a videotape on stress management and relaxation techniques, and encouraged her to watch it right away. Fifteen minutes later, her friend handed back the tape. “It was good,” she said, but I don’t need it.”

“But it’s a 70 - minute video,” the woman replied, “You couldn’t have watched the whole thing.”

“Yes, I did,” her friend said. “I put it in fast - forward!”

A major social problem of the 21st century is Hurry Sickness. We hurry through work. We swallow fast food. We complain that we don’t have enough time. We race through the days and weeks until one day we look back in amazement and comment, “My god, how the years flew by!” Then we realize the heavy price we have paid for traveling fast.

Symptoms of Hurry Sickness include stress and anxiety, bad relationships, lowered work performance and even disease. Some people don’t survive it. What’s the cure? Slow down, for life is so short and precious that we must live it well.

1.What was the advantage of taking a shower in the eyes of the artist friend?

A.Time was saved. B.Nothing was missed.

C.Great ideas flew away. D.Creative thoughts came.

2.What was the trouble with the woman’s friend?

A.She felt stressed. B.She found the tape useless.

C.She found no way to relax. D.She watched the tape too fast.

3.What are the major trouble people face in the 21st century in the writer’s eyes?

A.People run fast to work. B.Everything is done in a hurry.

C.People don’t have enough time. D.Time flies without being noticed.

4.How can the problem be settled?

A.By pacing down. B.By learning to survive.

C.By developing friendship. D.By performing good work.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

My six-year-old granddaughter stared at me as if she were seeing me for the first time. “Grandma, you are an antique(古董),” she said. “You are old. Antiques are old. You are my antique.”

I was not satisfied to let the matter rest there. I took out the Webster’s Dictionary and read the definition to Jenny. I explained, “An antique is not only old, it’s an object existing since or belonging to earlier times...a work of art... a piece of furniture. Antiques are treasured,” I told Jenny as I put away the dictionary. “They have to be handled carefully because they sometimes are very valuable. In order to qualify as an antique, the object has to be at least 100 years old.”

“I’m only 67,” I reminded Jenny.

We looked around the house for other antiques, besides me. There was a desk that was handed down from Rone aunt to another and finally to our family. “It’s very old,” I told Jenny. “I try to keep it polished and I show it off whenever I can. You do that with antiques."

There was a picture on the wall bought at a garage sale. It was dated 1867. “Now that’s an antique,” I said with pride. “Over 100 years old.” Of course it was marked up and scratched (刮坏) and not in very good condition. “Sometimes age does that,” I told Jenny. “But the marks are good marks. They show living, or being around. That’s something to display with pride. In fact, sometimes, the more an object shows age, the more valuable it can become.” I believed this was important for my own self-worth.

Our tour of antiques continued. There was a vase on the floor. It had been in my house for a long time. I was not certain where it came from but I didn’t buy it new. One thing about antiques, I explained to Jenny, was that they usually had a story. They’d been in one home and then another, handed down from one family to another, traveling all over the place. They’d lasted through years and years. They could have been thrown away, or ignored. or destroyed, or lost. But instead, they survived.

For a moment, Jenny looked thoughtful. “l don’t have any antiques but you,” she said. Then her face brightened. “Could I take you to school for show and tell?”

“Only if I fit into your backpack,” I answered. And then Jenny’s antique lifted her up and embraced her in a hug that would last through the years.

1.Grandma read the definition of “antique” to Jenny in order to ________.

A. express her disappointment at being called “antique”

B. change Jenny’s shallow understanding of antiques

C. tell Jenny the importance of protecting antiques

D. list all the important characteristics of antiques

2.Which of the following information did grandma express to Jenny?

A. The desk reminded her of her dear relatives.

B. There was usually a sad story behind each antique.

C. The spots on the picture showed its age and value.

D. She planned to buy a new vase to replace the old one.

3.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. Grandma was too old to lift Jenny up.

B. Jenny was too young to know grandma’s humor.

C. Jenny had a strong desire for grandma’s love.

D. Grandma had a deep long-lasting love for Jenny.

4.What can be the best title for the passage?

A. Jenny’s Antique　　 B. Grandma’s Antique

C. A Tour of Antiques　　 D. A Story of Antiques

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

My six-year-old granddaughter stared at me as if she were seeing me for the first time. “Grandma, you are an antique(古董),” she said. “You are old. Antiques are old. You are my antique.”

I was not satisfied to let the matter rest there. I took out the Webster’s Dictionary and read the definition to Jenny. I explained, “An antique is not only old, it’s an object existing since or belonging to earlier times...a work of art... a piece of furniture. Antiques are treasured,” I told Jenny as I put away the dictionary. “They have to be handled carefully because they sometimes are very valuable. In order to qualify as an antique, the object has to be at least 100 years old.”

“I’m only 67,” I reminded Jenny.

We looked around the house for other antiques, besides me. There was a desk that was handed down from Rone aunt to another and finally to our family. “It’s very old,” I told Jenny. “I try to keep it polished and I show it off whenever I can. You do that with antiques."

There was a picture on the wall bought at a garage sale. It was dated 1867. “Now that’s an antique,” I said with pride. “Over 100 years old.” Of course it was marked up and scratched (刮坏) and not in very good condition. “Sometimes age does that,” I told Jenny. “But the marks are good marks. They show living, or being around. That’s something to display with pride. In fact, sometimes, the more an object shows age, the more valuable it can become.” I believed this was important for my own self-worth.

Our tour of antiques continued. There was a vase on the floor. It had been in my house for a long time. I was not certain where it came from but I didn’t buy it new. One thing about antiques, I explained to Jenny, was that they usually had a story. They’d been in one home and then another, handed down from one family to another, traveling all over the place. They’d lasted through years and years. They could have been thrown away, or ignored. or destroyed, or lost. But instead, they survived.

For a moment, Jenny looked thoughtful. “l don’t have any antiques but you,” she said. Then her face brightened. “Could I take you to school for show and tell?”

“Only if I fit into your backpack,” I answered. And then Jenny’s antique lifted her up and embraced her in a hug that would last through the years.

1.Grandma read the definition of “antique” to Jenny in order to ________.

A.express her disappointment at being called “antique”

B.change Jenny’s shallow understanding of antiques

C.tell Jenny the importance of protecting antiques

D.list all the important characteristics of antiques

2.Which of the following information did grandma express to Jenny?

A.The desk reminded her of her dear relatives.

B.There was usually a sad story behind each antique.

C.The spots on the picture showed its age and value.

D.She planned to buy a new vase to replace the old one.

3.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A.Grandma was too old to lift Jenny up.

B.Jenny was too young to know grandma’s humor.

C.Jenny had a strong desire for grandma’s love.

D.Grandma had a deep long-lasting love for Jenny.

4.What can be the best title for the passage?

A.Jenny’s Antique B.Grandma’s Antique

C.A Tour of Antiques D.A Story of Antiques

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

When I was nine years old, I went off to summer camp for the first time. And my mother packed me a suitcase full of books, which to me seemed like a perfectly natural thing to do. While reading, you have the animal warmth of your family sitting right next to you, but you are also free to experience the adventure land inside your own mind. And I had this idea that camp was going to be just like this.

On the very first day, our counselor(顾问) gathered us all together and she taught us a cheer that she said we would be doing every day for the rest of the summer to instill(浸润) camp spirit. And it went like this: “R-O-W-D-I-E, that's the way we spell rowdie. Rowdie, rowdie, let's get rowdie . Yeah！”. So I couldn't figure out why we had to spell this word incorrectly. But I recited the cheer along with everybody else. I did my best. And I just waited for the time that I could go off and read my books.

But the first time that I took my book out of my suitcase, the coolest girl in the room came up to me and asked me, “Why are you being so mellow(安静的)?” Mellow, of course, is the exact opposite of R-O-W-D-I-E. And then the second time I tried it, the counselor came up to me with a concerned expression on her face and she repeated the point about camp spirit and said we should all work very hard to be outgoing.

And so I put my books away, back in their suitcase, and I put them under my bed, and there they stayed for the rest of the summer. And I felt kind of guilty about this. I felt as if the books needed me somehow, and they were calling out to me but I just gave them up.

1.According to the author, what would the coming camp be like?

A.It would be very noisy.

B.It would involve lots of reading.

C.It would be full of danger and excitement.

D.It would make a good chance to get close to nature.

2.How did the author feel about the cheer part?

A.Puzzled. B.Excited.

C.Concerned. D.Frightened.

3.How did the counselor react on seeing the author reading?

A.She got very angry.

B.She praised the author.

C.She asked the author to share the book

D.She indirectly advised the author not to read.

4.Why was the author guilty?

A.She was kind of quiet.

B.She had to leave her books unread.

C.She was unwilling to open her books.

D.She didn't follow the counselor's advice.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

To Whom It May Concern:

My husband and I got married in 1965 and for the first ten years of our marriage I was very happy to stay home and raise our three children. Then four years ago, our youngest child went to school and I thought I might go back to work.

My husband was very supportive and helped me to make my decision. He emphasized all of the things I can do around the house, and said he thought I could be a great success in business.

After several weeks of job-hunting I found my present job, which is working for a small public relations firm. At first, my husband was very proud of me and would tell his friends , "My clever little wife can run that company she's working for."

But as his joking remark approached reality, my husband stopped talking to me about my job．I have received several promotions and pay increases , and I am now making more money than he is. I can buy my own clothes and a new car. Because of our combined incomes, my husband and I can do many things that we had always dreamed of doing , but we don't do these things because he is very unhappy.

We fight about little things and my husband is very critical of me in front of our friends. For the first time in our marriage, I think there is a possibility that our marriage may come to an end．

I love my husband very much, and I don't want him to feel inferior, but I also love my job．I think I can be a good wife and a working woman, but I don't know how .Can you give me some advice? Will I have to choose one or the other or can I keep both my husband and my new career?

Please help.

"Distressed"

1.The letter was most probable written ________.

A．in 1975            B．around 1980                                 C．four years ago D．in 1965

2.Her husband ________ when she first found her present job．

A．was very critical of her                  B．felt disappointed

C．was proud of her                             D．was happy but critical

3.What does the underlined word "promotion" mean?

A．scolding           B．criticism         C．prize                 D．advancement

4.As her income increased, ________.

A．she found a gap emerged between her and her husband

B．she bought more clothes and a house

C．she did the many things she and her husband dreamed of

D．she felt very proud of herself

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

To Whom It May Concern:

My husband and I got married in 1965 and for the first ten years of our marriage I was very happy to stay home and raise our three children. Then four years ago, our youngest child went to school and I thought I might go back to work.

My husband was very supportive and helped me to make my decision. He emphasized all of the things I can do around the house, and said he thought I could be a great success in business.

After several weeks of job-hunting I found my present job, which is working for a small public relations firm. At first, my husband was very proud of me and would tell his friends , "My clever little wife can run that company she's working for."

But as his joking remark approached reality, my husband stopped talking to me about my job．I have received several promotions and pay increases , and I am now making more money than he is. I can buy my own clothes and a new car. Because of our combined incomes, my husband and I can do many things that we had always dreamed of doing , but we don't do these things because he is very unhappy.

We fight about little things and my husband is very critical of me in front of our friends. For the first time in our marriage, I think there is a possibility that our marriage may come to an end．

I love my husband very much, and I don't want him to feel inferior, but I also love my job．I think I can be a good wife and a working woman, but I don't know how .Can you give me some advice? Will I have to choose one or the other or can I keep both my husband and my new career?

Please help.

"Distressed"

1.The letter was most probable written ________.

2.Her husband ________ when she first found her present job．

3.What does the underlined word "promotion" mean?

4.As her income increased, ________.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

My husband and I got married in 1965 and for the first ten years of our marriage I was very happy to ______ home and raise our three children.Then four years ago，our youngest ______ went to school and I thought I might go back to ______.

My husband was very ______and helped me to make my decision.He pointed out all of the things I can do around the ______，and said he thought I could be a great ______ in business.After several weeks of job­hunting，I found my ______job，which is working for a small public relations firm.At first，my husband was very ______ of me and would tell his friends，“My clever little wife can ______ that company she’s working for.”

But as his joking words were close to ______，my husband stopped talking to me about my job.I have received several promotions and pay increases，and I am now ______ more money than he is.I can buy my ______ clothes and a new car.Because of our joint incomes，my husband and I can do many things that we had always ______ of doing，but we don’t do these things because he is very ______.

We ______ about little things and my husband is very critical of me in front of our friends.For the first time in our marriage，I think there is a possibility that our marriage may come to a(n) ______.

I love my husband very much，and I don’t want him to ______ lower，but I also love my job.I think I can be a good wife and a working woman，but I don’t know ______.Can you give me some ______？Will I have to choose one or the other or can I keep both my ______ and my new career?

1.A. look　　 B. stay　　 C. see　　 D. study

2.A. person　　 B. man　　 C. child　　 D. lady

3.A. school　　 B. factory　　 C. study　　 D. work

4.A. restricted　　 B. opposite　　 C. disappointed　　 D. supportive

5.A. group　　 B. house　　 C. firm　　 D. husband

6.A. success　　 B. failure　　 C. mother　　 D. helper

7.A. awkward　　 B. convenient　　 C. useful　　 D. present

8.A. warm　　 B. fond　　 C. proud　　 D. comfortable

9.A. run　　 B. walk　　 C. hire　　 D. sell

10.A. awareness　　 B. beliefs　　 C. reality　　 D. ambition

11.A. making　　 B. building　　 C. producing　　 D. growing

12.A. cheap　　 B. own　　 C. important　　 D. incredible

13.A. agreed　　 B. believed　　 C. dreamed　　 D. supposed

14.A. unhappy　　 B. confident　　 C. discouraging　　 D. certain

15.A. communicate　　 B. strike　　 C. fight　　 D. change

16.A. absence　　 B. end　　 C. exam　　 D. question

17.A. gain　　 B. add　　 C. feel　　 D. suffer

18.A. what　　 B. where　　 C. why　　 D. how

19.A. duties　　 B. advice　　 C. fun　　 D. enjoyment

20.A. husband　　 B. child　　 C. friendship　　 D. boss

高二英语完形填空简单题查看答案及解析

By the time he got up, I ______ for two hours in the factory.

A．have worked       B．worked           C．was working       D．had been working

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

My mother raised me as best as she could, taking on odd jobs in the neighborhood for money. Still without a father to tell me how to act and what was expected of me, I felt lost. I wandered for years and got involved with tough guys on the East Side of New York. They would fight madly over a dropped coin. They would steal to get what they wanted. I wanted to be like them.

It was lucky for me that I left the city and entered a world of discipline (纪律), after following my mothers advice. During three years of military service, I had time to rethink my life, and my thoughts often ran to my mother. I realized suddenly just how much of a heartache I must have been to her, how little I had noticed her suffering. When my father left this world, my mother was completely alone. To support us, my mother cleaned apartments and took in washing and ironing from the neighbors. And as she worked hard at this labor, she kept her head high. Each week she would bring a pile of books home from the library and read to us. My mother had wanted nothing more, than for me to turn into an honest responsible man. But I had acted against her. Finally, almost too late I had the sense to feel shame.

Ten years passed and I returned to the apartment on the East Side. I knew I wouldn’t fall back in with the wrong people, although I still wasn’t sure where I was heading. My mother, I could tell, was worried about me. In my neighborhood, to become a police officer or a firefighter was a mark of significant social success and achievement. For me it was an opportunity for a real start in life. I wondered if I was up to it, but I knew that it was time to try. When I found myself in the big hall raising my hands to take the firefighters oath (誓言) of office, my mother was sitting a few rows behind with a smile of relief. She knew that at last I was off on life’s road and moving steadily. Her smile said, “My job is finally done.”

1.The author used to behave ________.

A. strangely　　 B. well

C. outstandingly　　 D. badly

2.According to the context，“odd jobs” in the first paragraph refer to jobs ________.

A. with house work

B. which are dangerous

C. done by people to make extra money with

D. of cleaning, washing and ironing

3.Why did the author say he was lucky in the second paragraph?

A. He spent three years of military service.

B. He escaped from a world of discipline.

C. He moved to another city with his mother.

D. He enjoyed the books his mother read to him.

4.What does the mother’s word “My job is finally done” mean in the last paragraph?

A. She needn’t be worried about her son again.

B. She can lower her head.

C. Her son has grown up to be an honest and responsible man.

D. She will no longer do all available jobs to support the family.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Some years ago when I was in my first year in college, I heard Salome Bey sing for the first time. The moment was exciting. Salome’s 　 　 filled the room and brought the theater to life. I was so 　 　 that I decided to write an article about her.

I 　 　 Salome Bey, telling her I was from Essence magazine, and that I wanted to meet her to talk about her career .She 　 　 and told me to come to her Studio next Tuesday. When I hung up, I was scared out of mind. I 　 　 I was lying. I was not a writer at all and hadn’t even written a grocery list.

I interviewed Salome Bey the next Tuesday. I sat there 　 　 , taking notes and asking questions that all began with, “Can you tell me…?” I soon realized that 　 　 Salome Bey was one thing, but writing a story for a national magazine was just impossible. The 　 　 was almost unbearable. I struggled for days 　 　 draft（草稿）after draft. Finally I put my manuscript（手稿）into a large envelope and dropped it into a mailbox.

It didn’t take long. My manuscript 　 　 . How stupid of me! I thought. How could I 　 　

in a world of professional writers? Knowing I couldn’t 　 　 the rejection letter, I threw the unopened envelope into a drawer.

Five years later, I was moving to California. While 　 　 my apartment, I came across the unopened envelope. This time I opened it and read the editor’s letter in 　 　 :

Ms Profit,

Your story on Salome Bey is fantastic. Yet we need some 　 　 materials. Please add those and return the article immediately. We would like to 　 　 your story soon.

Shocked, it took me a long time to 　 　 . Fear of rejection cost me greatly. I lost at least five hundred dollars and the chance of having my article appear in a major magazine. More importantly, I lost years of 　 　 writing. Today, I have become a full-time writer. Looking back on this 　 　 , I learned a very important lesson: You can’t 　 　 to doubt yourself.

1.A.　 joy    B.　 voice     C.　 speech     D.　 smile

2.A.　 proud    B.　 active    C.　 satisfied    D.　 moved

3.A.　 visited     B.　 emailed    C.　 phoned    D.　 interviewed

4.A.　 agreed    B.　 refused    C.　 hesitated    D.　 paused

5.A.　 replied    B.　 discovered    C.　 explained    D.　 knew

6.A.　 seriously    B.　 patiently    C.　 nervously    D.　 quietly

7.A.　 blaming    B.　 fooling    C.　 inviting    D.　 urging

8.A.　 hardship    B.　 failure    C.　 comment    D.　 pressure

9.A.　 with    B.　 by    C.　 on    D.　 in

10.A.　 Disappeared　 B.　 returned    C.　 spread    D.　 improved

11.A.　 Compare　　　 B.　 struggle    C.　 survive    D.　 Compet2e

12.A.　 ignore     B.　 deliver    C.　 face    D.　 receive

13.A.　 Decorating　 B.　 repairing    C.　 cleaning    D.　 leaving

14.A.　 surprise    　　 B.　 anxiety    C.　 horror    D.　 trouble

15.A.　 Subjective　 B.　 detailed    C.　 private    D.　 complex

16.A.　 broadcast　　 B.　 create    C.　 publish    D.　 Asses7s

17.A.　 recover　　 B.　 prepare    C.　 escape    D.　 Concen9trate

18.A.　 Energetic　　 B.　 endless    C.　 typical    D.　 enjoyable

19.A.　 Experience　 B.　 success    C.　 benefit    D.　 accident

20.A.　 attempt    　　 B.　 afford    C.　 expect    D.　 Pretend

高二英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析