-
I.M. Pei, the Chinese-American, who was regarded as one of the last great modernist architects, has died at the age of 102.
Although he worked mostly in the United States, Pei will always be remembered for a European project: His redevelopment of the Louvre Museum in Paris in the 1980s. He gave us the glass and metal pyramid in the main courtyard, along with three smaller pyramids and a vast subterranean (地下的) addition to the museum entrance.
Pei was the first foreign architect to work on the Louvre in its long history, and initially his designs were fiercely opposed. But in the end, the French — and everyone else — were won over.
Winning the fifth Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1983, he was thought as giving the 20th century “some of its most beautiful inside spaces and outside forms. His talent and skill in the use of materials approach the level of poetry.”
After studying architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Pei set up his own architectural practice in New York in 1955.
Designing the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum in 1964 established him as a name. His East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington in 1978 changed people’s ideas of a museum. The site was an odd trapezoid (梯形) shape. Pei’s solution was to cut it in two. The resulting building was dramatic, light and elegant — one of the first crowd-pleasing cathedrals of modern art.
Though known as a modernist, and notable for his forms based on arrangements of simple geometric (几何的) shapes, he once urged Chinese architects to look more to their architectural tradition rather than designing in a western style.
In person, I.M. Pei was good-humored, charming and unusually modest. His working process was evolutionary, but innovation (创新) was never an intended goal.
“Stylistic originality is not my purpose,” he said. “I want to find the originality in the time, the place and the problem.”
1.What can we learn about the result of redevelopment of the Louvre Museum?
A.It was criticized by the French.
B.It turned out to be a success.
C.It made the Louvre Museum look strange.
D.It changed the function of the Louvre Museum.
2.What can we learn from the underlined sentence in paragraph 4?
A.He is a master in applying materials.
B.He is skilled in writing poems.
C.He often combines poetry and construction.
D.He gets inspiration from poetry in designing.
3.What’s the correct order of the following events?
a. Design the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum.
b. Study architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard.
c. Design the National Gallery of Art.
d. Win the fifth Pritzker Architecture Prize.
A.abcd B.bacd C.bcad D.dacd
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
-
I.M. Pei, whose modern designs and high-profile projects made him one of the best-known and most prolific architects of the 20th century, has died. He was 102. A spokesman for Pei’s New York architecture firm confirmed his death to the Associated Press. Pei, whose designs included a controversial renovation of Paris’ Louvre Museum and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, died overnight, his son Chien Chung Pei told the New York Times.
Ieoh Ming Pei, the son of an outstanding banker in China, left his homeland in 1935, moving to the US and studying architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard. After teaching and working for the US government, he went to work for a New York developer in 1948 and started his own firm in 1955.
The museums, municipal buildings, hotels, schools and other structures that Pei built around the world showed precision geometry（几何结构）and an abstract quality with much respect for light. They were composed of stone, steel and glass and, as with the Louvre, Pei often worked glass pyramids into his projects.
The Louvre, parts of which date to the 12th century, proved to be Pei ’s most controversial work, starting with the fact that he was not French. After being chosen for the job by the then president, François Mitterrand, surrounded by much secrecy, Pei began by making a four-month study of the museum and French history. He created a futuristic(极其现代的) 70ft-tall steel-framed, glass-walled pyramid as a grand entrance for the museum with three smaller pyramids nearby. It was a striking contrast to the existing Louvre structures in classic French style and was violently criticized by many French.
Pei said the Louvre was undoubtedly the most difficult job of his career. He said he had wanted to create a modern space that did not detract（减损）from the traditional part of the museum. “Contemporary architects tend to impose modernity on something,” he said in a New York Times interview in 2008. “There is a certain concern for history but it’s not very deep. I understand that time has changed, we have evolved. But I don’t want to forget the beginning. A lasting architecture has to have roots.”
When Pei won the international Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1983, he used the $100,000 award to start a program for aspiring Chinese architects to study in the US. Even though he formally retired from his firm in 1990, Pei was still taking on projects in his late 80s, such as museums in Luxembourg, Qatar and his ancestral home of Suzhou.
1.What can we learn from the first three paragraphs?
A.Pei is famous for traditional designs in architecture.
B.Pei built the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
C.Pei set up his own firm with the help of a New York developer.
D.Pei put the elements light and glass pyramids into the Louvre.
2.What is the French attitude towards Pei’s job of the Louvre?
A.Positive. B.Neutral.
C.Critical. D.Objective.
3.What is the purpose of Paragraph 5?
A.To explain Pei’s idea about the Louvre innovation job.
B.To list the modernity of the Louvre innovation.
C.To show Pei’s love for traditional culture.
D.To present Pei’s contributions to architecture in history.
4.Which of the following words can best describe Pei?
A.Productive and stubborn. B.Generous and persistent.
C.Hard-working and humorous. D.Tolerant and considerate.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
-
Bill, often regarded as one of the best students in his class, ____ to be the student who cheated in the exam.
A. came out B. let out C. sent out D. turned out
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
-
I. M. Pei, one of the best-known architects of the 20th century, has died. He was 102. Born in China, Ieoh Ming Pei moved to the United States in 1935 to study architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University.
Pei’s works around the world include museums, government buildings, hotels, schools and other structures built with stone, steel and glass. One of his best-known and most disputed works was built 30 years ago. Pei created a new entrance for the world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris. Pei first spent four months studying the museum and French history. He then drew plans for a 21-meter-tall steel and glass id, with three smaller pyramids nearby. It was a very futuristic style of work for the 12th-century building.
A French newspaper criticized Pei’s pyramids as “an annex to Disneyland”. An environmental group said they belonged in a desert. Others accused Pei of ruining one of the world’s greatest landmarks.
Pei said the Louvre was the most difficult job of his career. He argued that he had wanted to create a modern space that would not take away from the traditional part of the museum. He said the glass pyramids were based on the works of French landscape architect Le Notre. They honored French history.
The pyramids opened in the spring of 1989. Over the years that followed, the structure came to be loved by most, if not all, of its critics.
Other well-known Pei buildings include the John F. Kennedy Library in Dorchester, Massachusetts, the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art in Washington and the Dallas City Hall in Texas. Pei officially retired in 1990. However, he continued to work on projects—including museums in Luxembourg, Qatar and his ancestral home of Suzhou.
1.What is true about the entrance created by Pei for the Louvre Museum?
A.Pei spent four mouths drawing plans for it. B.There are four pyramids in total.
C.It’s in a style of the 12th century. D.It took 30 years to complete the work.
2.What can we infer from Pei’s words in Paragraph 4?
A.The glass pyramids were originally designed by Le Notre.
B.The glass pyramids were based on the French landscape.
C.The glass pyramids were in harmony with the Louvre.
D.The glass pyramids reflected both French and Chinese style.
3.What were most people’s attitudes towards Pei’s pyramids years after its opening?
A.Indifferent. B.Puzzled.
C.Critical. D.Favorable.
4.What do we know about Pei according to the passage?
A.He was hardworking, optimistic and easygoing.
B.He spread Chinese traditional architecture to the world.
C.He created many great works both in China and other countries.
D.He was the most outstanding architect of the 20th century.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
-
Nelson Mandela, who was elected ______ president of South Africa in 1994, is generally regarded as ______ father of the country.
A. the; the B. /; the C. /; / D. the; /
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
-
Nelson Mandela, who was elected ______ president of South Africa in 1994, is generally regarded as______ father of the country.
A. the; the B. /; the C. /; / D. the; /
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
-
San Francisco，unofficially regarded as one of the homeless capitals of the US，counts nearly 6,500 homeless people, with 4,300 living on the street．
Among the many problems that the homeless face is little or no access to showers．San Francisco only has about 16 to 20 shower stations to accommodate them．But Doniece Sandoval has made it her task to change that．
“Homelessness is something you can’t really miss，”the 51-year-old woman said．She started Lava Mae，a sort of showers on wheels, a new project that aims to turn old city buses into shower stations for the homeless．
“One day I passed a woman in the street and she was very dirty and basically crying，and I heard her say that she would never be clean．But I was wondering what her opportunities were to actually get clean,” Sandoval said．
Sandoval was inspired to start Lava Mae. The project has already been welcomed with open arms in the city．The Transportation Agency has donated one bus for the cause and is willing to donate three more if the project succeeds．Sandoval hopes the first bus will be able to hit the road in May this year．The Public Commission has also agreed to let the buses plug into fire hydrants(消防龙头)around the city if Lava Mae pays for the water．
One of Lava Mae’s biggest supporters is Bevan Dufty, the director of Housing Opportunity, Partnerships & Engagement under the mayor of San Francisco．“For people who are unhoused，access to showers is very difficult．Shower buses are something that could potentially be deployed (部署)in response to an emergency，so it is relevant to all San Franciscans," Dufty said．“Doniece has done an incredible job as a citizen who cares about helping the poor．We are very excited to see Lava Mae become real soon．”
Each bus will have two shower stations and Sandoval expects that by 2015，they’ll be able to provide 2000 showers a week．
1.What problem does San Francisco face according to the text?
A．The city has the most homeless people in the USA．
B．There are no shower stations for the homeless in the city．
C．It’s hard for homeless people in the city to take showers．
D．Few citizens in the city care about the homeless．
2.What does the underlined word ''them” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A．City problems． B．Shower stations． C．Old buses． D．The homeless．
3.Which of the following best describes Doniece Sandoval?
A．Brave and independent． B．Caring and responsible．
C．Honest and determined． D．Friendly and humorous．
4.What can we learn from Dufty’s words?
A．All San Franciscans are excited to use Lava Mae．
B．Emergencies in San Francisco will be prevented by Lava Mae．
C．Dufty thinks highly of Doniece's way of helping the poor．
D．The mayor of San Francisco will support Doniece financially．
5.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A．A newly invented way of shower
B．Showers on Wheels for the Homeless
C．The health problem of the homeless
D．Lave Mae-a new name for old city buses
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
-
University is generally regarded as one of the most important times in a person’s life, yet the function of this institution continues to arouse debate. Many believe that arts subjects are too easy, that practical skills are more useful and that a chosen subject for study should be clearly linked to a career. However, this view is far too simplistic. Arts subjects are very difficult. They can prepare students for any number of careers as well as allowing the student to take time to make a decision. The function of the modern university is to cater to different types of student.
Arts subjects are not easy. For example, a degree in Literature is not an easy option. No question in a Literature class has a single, simple answer. Debate is conducted in a spirit of openness, texts are very closely analyzed and skills in close reading are developed. Literature is about language, our primary means of communication. Arts subjects require the same concentrated study as any other subject.
Arts subjects can prepare students for any number of careers. A degree in an arts subject teaches skills in well organized debates and defence of a position through the provision of evidence. These are applicable to many types of career. Law, for example. The point is that an undergraduate degree in any Arts subject trains the student in analysis and structure. Therefore, Arts graduates can pursue any number of careers.
Arts subjects allow the student to take time to choose a career. Love of the subject for its own sake may well be the initial motivation for the Arts undergraduate but because the subject they have chosen is not so clearly linked to a career they have time to reflect, making a decision only when they are absolutely certain. Students who pursue Arts subjects therefore have the leisure to make a carefully considered choice.
In conclusion, it is clear that Arts subjects are not a waste of time. They are flexible when it comes to relating them to a career and they allow the student to discover an appropriate career path. Many industries now acknowledge that a degree in Literature can be just as valuable as any other subject, especially when it is evident that Arts graduates tend to think more creatively. Not all undergraduates have clearly defined goals and not all subjects can be simply matched to a career. Acknowledging this difference should be the main function of a modern university
1. What does the author mainly argue in this article?
A. Universities should be aware of diversity B. Universities should focus on practical courses.
C. Arts courses should be promoted. D. Arts subjects are inappropriate for work.
2.What does the author imply about universities’ attitude to students?
A. They need to be more understanding of students’ needs.
B. They need to keep out arts students.
C. They need to link courses to careers.
D. They need to offer more arts courses.
3.The author suggests that technical subjects ____________.
A. are more important than arts subjects. B. are more useful to the modern world.
C. have equal value to arts subjects. D. are not as important as arts subjects.
4.From the article, we know skills acquired by arts undergraduates include___________.
A. Perception and investigation B. Technique and motivation
C. Appreciation and dedication D. Analysis and structure
5.According to the author, the students choose arts courses initially because ___________.
A. they are unsure about a career B. they are interested in the subject
C. they hate technical subjects D. they are creative people
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
-
Regarded as one of the English language’s most gifted poets, John Keats wrote poetry that concentrated on imagery, human nature, and philosophy. Although Keats didn’t receive much formal literary education, his own studies and passion brought him much success. Additionally, his own life situation influenced his poetry greatly.
Growing up as a young boy in London in a lower middle-class family, the young John didn’t attend a private school, but went to a public one. His teachers and his family’s friends regarded him as an optimistic boy who favored playing and fighting much more than minding his studies. After his father’s death in the early 1800s, followed by his mother’s passing due to tuberculosis (肺结核), he began viewing life differently. He wanted to escape the world and did so by reading anything he could get his hands on.
At around the age of 16, the teenage John Keats began studying under a surgeon so that he too might become a doctor. However, his literary appetite had taken too much of his fancy, especially with his addiction to the poetry of Ehmund Spenser. He was able to have his first full poem published in the Examiner in 1816, entitled O Solitude! If I Must With Thee Dwell. Within two months in 1817, Keats had written an entire volume of poetry, but was sharply criticized by a magazine. However, the negative response didn’t stop his pursuit of rhythm (韵律).
John Keats’ next work was Endymion, which was published in May 1818. The story involves a shepherd who falls in love with the moon goddess and leads him on an adventure of one boy’s hope to overcome the limitations of being human. Following Engymion, however, he tried something more narrative-based and wrote Isabella. During this time, John Keats began seeing his limitations in poetry due to his own limit in life experiences. He would have to have the “knowledge” associated with his poems. His next work was Hyperion that would attempt to combine all that he learned. However, a bout (发作) with tuberculosis while visiting Italy would keep him from his work and eventually take his life in 1821.
1.John Keats’ attitude towards life changed because of _________.
A. his early education from school B. the deaths of his parents
C. Edmund Spenser’s poetry D. the criticism of a magazine
2.What is the common thing between John Keats and his mother?
A. They read many books.
B. They had a bad childhood
C. They died of the same disease.
D. They showed strong interest in poetry
3.What do we know from the passage?
A. Keats received little education at school.
B. Keats once had a chance of becoming a doctor.
C. In 1816 Keats spent two months writing a poem.
D. Endymion was about a real love story.
4.While pursuing his dream of becoming a poet at first, John Keats was __________.
A. determined B. experienced C. knowledgeable D. impatient
5.What can we infer from the passage?
A. Keats’ family must have been very poor when he was young.
B. Edmund Spenser was the greatest poet in Keats’ time.
C. It is likely that Keats rewrote his poem Isabella.
D. The poem Hyperion wasn’t completed by Keats.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
-
Regarded as one of the English language’s most gifted poets, John Keats wrote poetry that concentrated on imagery, human nature, and philosophy (哲学). Although Keats didn’t receive much formal literary education, his own studies and passion brought him much success. Additionally, his own life situation influenced his poetry greatly.
Growing up as a young boy in London in a lower middle-class family, the young John didn’t attend a private school, but went to a public one. His teachers and his family’s friends regarded him as an optimistic boy who favored playing and fighting much more than minding his studies. After his father’s death in the early 1800s, followed by his mother’s passing due to tuberculosis (肺结核), he began viewing life differently. He wanted to escape the world and did so by reading anything he could get his hands on.
At around the age of 16, the teenage John Keats began studying under a surgeon so that he too might become a doctor. However, his literary appetite had taken too much of his fancy, especially with his addiction to the poetry of Ehmund Spenser. He was able to have his first full poem published in the Examiner in 1816, entitled O Solitude! If I Must With Thee Dwell. Within two months in 1817, Keats had written an entire volume of poetry, but was sharply criticized (批评) by a magazine. However, the negative response didn’t stop his love of rhythm (韵律).
John Keats’ next work was Endymion, which was published in May 1818. The story involves a shepherd who falls in love with the moon goddess and leads him on an adventure of one boy’s hope to overcome the limitations of being human. Following Endymion, however, he tried something more narrative-based (叙事体的) and wrote Isabella. During this time, John Keats began seeing his limitations in poetry due to his own limit in life experiences. He would have to have the “knowledge” associated with his poems. His next work was Hyperion that would attempt to combine all that he learned. However, a bout (发作) with tuberculosis while visiting Italy would keep him from his work and eventually take his life in 1821.
1.John Keats’ attitude towards life changed because of .
A.his early education from school B.the deaths of his parents
C.Edmund Spenser’s poetry D.the criticism of a magazine
2.What is the common thing between John Keats and his mother?
A.They read many books. B.They had a bad childhood.
C.They died of the same disease. D.They showed strong interest in poetry.
3.While trying to achieve his dream of becoming a poet first, John Keats was .
A.determined B.experienced
C.knowledgeable D.impatient
4.What do we know from the passage?
A.Keats received little education at school.
B.Endymion was about a real love story.
C.In 1816 Keats spent two months writing a poem.
D.Keats once had a chance of becoming a doctor.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析