Five years ago, my wife said she'd found us a...

Five years ago, my wife said she'd found us a tiny but adorable house. It was close to the historic Abbot Kinney. However, there was a bus depot（公共汽车停车场）across the street. Hundreds of buses noisily parked there every night and noisily left every morning. It was awful.

But I was determined to make the best of it. “It is noisy, but it offers us a good way to think about what is required to make a city work, "I kept telling our 6-year-old daughter.

Then one morning, I woke up to find that the buses were gone! I allowed myself to get excited. My daughter, however, was unhappy. It took me a minute to understand:she had got used to the idea of us having a role in city life.

Shortly afterward, a homeless encampment（临时营地）was built there. Then I found out what was planned for the bus depot-a place to deal with the homeless.

When I told my daughter about the“bridge housing", a big smile spread across her face. Her first reaction wasn't fear or selfishness. She understood instantly how special it was that the bus depot would become a place for people who needed just that to live.

What story about city life could I tell her then？I tried to keep fruit in the car so that at traffic lights, we could hand out a banana or an apple. When a woman put up a tent on the sidewalk in front of our stairs, I filled all her water bottles.

Now we have a couple hundred new neighbours, and I'll be telling anyone who will listen what an honour it is to live among the homeless. Without my daughter, I might not have come to the same conclusion.

1.What was wrong with the author's new house at the beginning?

A.It was too small for family use.

B.There was too much noise around.

C.It was too close to a tourist attraction.

D.There were too many neighbours around.

2.Why was the author's daughter unhappy when she found the buses were gone?

A.She thought she lost the role in city life.

B.She didn't like the idea of bridge housing.

C.She had been used to the presence of buses.

D.She couldn't go out of town without the buses.

3.What was the author's purpose of keeping fruit in his car?

A.To meet his family's needs.

B.To make his daughter happy.

C.To help the homeless when possible.

D.To thank those who had helped them.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A couple of years ago, when my older daughter was 8,she gently told my wife and me that she’d gotten too old for us to read her books anymore. We didn’t try to talk her out of it or tell her many benefits of reading aloud to a child (even after they can do so themselves). 1.

Two weeks after stopping our bedtime readings, though, my older daughter asked whether we could start again. 2. As she later explained, “Everyone likes to be read to, even adults.” We’ve continued uninterrupted since. Right now, we’re deep into Philip Pullman’s “The Golden Compass.”

3. In most of the studies, people found that reading aloud appeared to strengthen parents’ feelings of competence, improve the quality of their relationships with their children and even reduce parental stress or depression.

Reading aloud to children improves a young mind’s cognitive development (thinking, problem-solving, decision-making) and reduces behavior problems, research shows. As with playing board games, reading to them increases concentration and attention spans.

And yet, too many of us stop before the kids want us to. 4.

The conversations children have around themes and ideas in books help them make sense of the world. And it’s a joyful way to connect and be close with your kid. While reading in bed, my daughters and I lie next to each other, sometimes leaning into one another. 5. It’s as high a quality as quality time gets.

A. She simply enjoyed the practice too much to let it go yet.

B. When she was a young child, we began a nearly daily reading called Milk & Books.

C. We were disappointed but respected her.

D. Reading aloud was significantly beneficial to children and their parents.

E. In Australia, more than a third of children aged 6 to 1l whose parents had stopped reading to them wanted to continue.

F. We laugh and are surprised together and have deep conversations about the novels.

G. It’s one of the most virtuous circles of parenting and teaching.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Dusty is a golden hunting dog that joined my family five years ago. She’s a great dog, but the dog hair drives me_______sometimes. It’s on my clothes, it’s on the furniture, and it _______in little piles in the corner of every room. It’s _______!

We now have the little sticky, roll tool, which is used to _______ the hair before we leave the house. It is especially _______ for the kids as they insist on giving Dusty a big _______ before going to school every morning.

My elder son, Hayden, is 10 and a half, and my twins Madison and Logan turn 8 in November this year. In the past couple of months, I have _______ been able to enjoy few nights’ complete _______. That’s over ten years’ deprivation(剥夺) of my rest time! However, _______ I always pay attention to my toil(辛劳), I can quickly become a(n)________ woman who is too bored and upset to enjoy life properly. Without the help of my husband, having 3 young kids and a pet to ________ in the house is surely not a(n)________ task. However, if I remember to ________ the positives that they bring to my life instead of the ________ and the cost of private schooling for the kids, I can feel my job is full of happiness. Indeed, our smart pet and healthily-growing children have given me lots of ________.

In spite of the troubles in life, what we focus on ________ our feelings. Our families, our jobs, our communities and so on, each ________ some annoying elements that can rob us of our ________. So our ________ is to stop wasting time considering the annoyances and ________ to be grateful for the positives.

1.A.busy B.crazy C.funny D.calm

2.A.grows B.comes C.gathers D.disappears

3.A.everywhere B.somewhere C.nowhere D.elsewhere

4.A.throw up B.clean up C.burn out D.put up

5.A.important B.interesting C.comfortable D.annoying

6.A.hug B.smile C.praise D.nod

7.A.only B.yet C.always D.even

8.A.imagination B.sleep C.music D.work

9.A.before B.so C.if D.although

10.A.peaceful B.anxious C.kind-hearted D.generous

11.A.educate B.put C.raise D.accompany

12.A.meaningful B.reasonable C.bored D.easy

13.A.put out B.deal with C.make up D.focus on

14.A.emotions B.events C.troubles D.appearances

15.A.creativity B.freedom C.ability D.pleasure

16.A.catches B.stops C.shapes D.forbids

17.A.costs B.reaches C.returns D.contains

18.A.joy B.excitement C.sorrow D.surprise

19.A.fact B.challenge C.reason D.theory

20.A.remember B.ignore C.refuse D.hope

高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

About five years ago, an American electrical engineer named Scott Brusaw and his wife Julie came up with the idea of putting solar panels on the ground rather than the roof. Then they began to develop the Solar Roadway specially for a new type of cars-eco-cars. The Solar Roadway is an intelligent road that provides clean renewable energy using power from the sun while providing safer driving conditions, along with power and data delivery. They predict that the Solar Roadway will pay for itself through the generation of electricity along with other forms of income and that the same amount of money that is being used to build and resurface current roads can be used to build the Solar Roadsays.

Each Solar Road Panel measures roughly 4 meters and contains a microprocessor（微处理器）that monitors and controls the panel, while communicating with neighboring panels and the vehicles traveling overhead. The inventors suggest that this provides a communication device every 4 meters on every road which could be used for example to warn drivers of cars which are moving across a centre line and various other speed control problems. The top of the Solar Road panels is made of super-strong glass that would offer vehicles the tractions（抓地力）they need.

According to the inventors, the Solar Roadway creates and carries clean renewable electricity and therefore electric vehicles can be recharged at any conveniently located rest stop, or at any business that has paved Solar Road Panels in their parking lots.

The inventors say their Solar Roadway has many functions and advantages from main roads to drivewasys, parking lots, bike paths, sidewalks and runways. The Federal Highway Administration has given Brusaw $100,000 to develop the invention and Brusaw hopes to build a smart-road parking lot in the coming spring.

1.In the inventors’ opinion, the Solar Roadway______.

A. is too expensive to build at present

B. costs no more money than current roads

C. can provide as many data as present computers

D. will bring them a large sum of money

2.The underlined word“they”in Paragraph 2 refers to______.

A. the panels　　 B. the inventors　　 C. the researchers　　 D. the vehicles

3.The Solar Roadway includes all the following advantages EXCEPT_______.

A. providing safer driving conditions

B. helping drivers communicate with each other while driving

C. creating and carrying clean renewable electricity

D. warning drivers of various speed control problems

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

A. Solar-powered smart road of the future

B. The great changes on the roadway

C. The influence the Solar Roadway has on people

D. The Solar Road-a much faster road

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

IT'S a mystery that has puzzled scientists. Five years ago, researchers found an area in the Atlantic Ocean seabed, where a part of the Earth's outer layer, or crust（地壳）, is　 missing. A thick layer of dark green rock, which is usually found deep inside the planet, lies exposed.

The crust, mantle(地幔) and core（地核） are the main layers that make up the planet. The mantle rests between the crust and the core.

Last month, a team of 12 British scientists set off on a six-week trip to study the hole in the crust.

The hole is about 4,800 meters below sea level and is believed to be more than 48,000 meters long and more than 48,000 meters wide. Scientists think that there are other nearby gaps. "It is like a window into the interior (内部) of the Earth," says scientist　　 Bramley Murton, who is part of the research team.

The site where the hole is located is part of a ridge (山脉) of undersea volcanoes.　 There, two of the plates that make up the Earth's surface meet. The plates are always　　 moving. When the plates move away from each other, lava rushes up from the mantle to　　 fill the gap and form a new crust. But this did not happen in the area where the hole is located.

The hole is giving researchers a good opportunity to study what's below the Earth's　　 surface. The team will use a special robotic tool to film the area and get samples of the exposed mantle. They hope to study everything from the chemistry of the oceans to how the Earth's surface behaves under the sea.

1. What's the title for the passage?

A. How to study the earth.

B. The formation of the earth.

C. A hole in the earth.

D. Studying the inside of the earth.

2.For the main layers of the earth, which one is right?

A. crust, mantle, core　　　　 B. seabed, crust, mantle

C. seabed, mantle, core　　　 D. crust, seabed, core

3.How does the hole come into being?

A. It's because of a volcano eruption.

B. It's because of the plates movements

C. It's because lava rushes up from the mantle

D. It's not clear from the passage.

4.By studying the hole, the scientists want to do the following except____.

A. knowing what's below the Earth's surface

B. getting samples of the exposed mantle

C. getting the film of the hole

D. studying the chemistry of the oceans

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

About five years ago，I found myself working in a terrible middle school.　 The hours were long and the work was boring. ________, the pay was low.　 Every day the job seemed a physical ________ for me. My neck would burn with pain from the ________ bending.　 My feet would ache from ________ the entire day.　 The skin around my fingernails would ________ because of the work my hands were doing.　 I tried to keep my ________ up while I worked there, but day by day I felt myself ________ down.　 Every morning I would press sticking-plaster on my neck, place Band-Aid around my fingers and ________ my worn-out shoes.　 And every night I would _______ myself home and fall onto the couch.

One evening I felt like I could________ it no more.　 As I drove home alone, I said to myself.　 “Why am I working myself here just to ________ ? Why couldn’t I find a better job than this? Why do I have to ________ this right now?”

I wasn’t really expecting a(n) ________, but life always loves to surprise us.　 As I ________ up the steps to my front door, I found my wife and my son waiting for me ________ smiling faces.　 “Daddy, Daddy!” my son yelled.　 I smiled and picked him up with my ________ arms.　 Then after hugging and kissing him, I laughed for the first time in days and sat down ________.　 At that time, I found the answer which would give me the ________ I needed to go on.

Eventually I moved on to a better school, but I________ forgot that answer, which had gently reminded me of the simple truth.　 We may have to work to live, but we live to ________.　 May you always fill your days with love and joy.

1.A. Instead　　　　　 B. However　　　　　 C. Therefore　　　　　 D. Besides

2.A. class　　　　　　 B. shock　　　　　　 C. exploration　　　　 D. challenge

3.A. instant　　　　　 B. occasional　　 C. constant　　　　　　 D. regular

4.A. shaking　　　　 B. racing　　　　　 C. running　　　　　　 D. standing

5.A. destroy　　　　 B. damage　　　　　　 C. benefit　　　　　　 D. split

6.A. spirits　　　　 B. attitudes　　 　 C. minds　　　　　　　 D. thoughts

7.A. bringing　　　　 B. tearing　　　　 C. wearing　　　　　　 D. putting

8.A. put on　　　　　 B. set on　　　　　 C. get on　　　　　　　 D. wear on

9.A. drag　　　　　　 B. enjoy　　　　　　 C. help　　　　　　　　 D. walk

10.A. appreciate　　 B. stand　　　　　　 C. like　　　　　　　　 D. prefer

11.A. survive　　 　　 B. support　　　　　 C. continue　　　　　　 D. exist

12.A. put aside　　 B. keep up　　　　　 C. go through　　　　 D. get across

13.A. reward　　　　 B. gift　　　　　　　 C. answer　　　　　　　 D. solution

14.A. struggled　　　 B. moved　　　　 　　 C. jumped　　　　　　 　 D. climbed

15.A. from　　　　　　 B. as　　　　　　　　 C. with　　　　　　　 D. for

16.A. broken　　　　 B. relieved　　　 　 C. tired　　　　　　　　 D. trembled

17.A. thoughtfully B. peacefully　　 C. surprisingly　　　 D. sadly

18.A. nutrient　　　 B. courage　　　　　 C. strength　　　　 　 D. break

19.A. ever　　　　　　 B. never　　　　　　 C. seldom　　　　　　 　 D. already

20.A. work　　　　　　 B. relax　　　　　　 C. love　　　　　　 　　 D. laugh

高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Several years ago, my parents, my wife, my son and I ate at one of those restaurants where the menu is written on a blackboard. After a wonderful dinner, the waiter set the check in the middle of the table. That’s when it happened：my father did not reach for the check.

Conversation continued. Finally I realized that I should pick up the check! After hundreds of restaurant meals with my parents, after a lifetime of thinking of my father as the one with dollars, it had all changed. I reached for the check, and my view of myself suddenly changed. I was an adult. I was no longer a kid (child).

Some people mark off (区分) their lives in years, I measure mine in small events. I didn’t become a young man at a particular age, like 16, but rather when a kid who wandered in the streets called me “mister”. These events in my life are called “milestones”(里程碑).

There have been other milestones. The cops (policemen) of my youth always seemed big, even huge, and of course they were older than I was. Then one day they were suddenly neither. The day came when I suddenly realized that all the football players in the game I was watching were younger than I was. They were just big kids. With that milestone gone was the dream that someday, maybe I, too, could be a football player. Without ever having reached the hill, I was over it.

I never thought that I would fall asleep in front of the TV set as my father did. Now it’s what I do best. I never thought that I would go to the beach and not swim, yet I spent all of August at the shore and never once went into the ocean. I never thought that I would appreciate opera, but now the combination of voice and orchestra attracts me. I never thought that I would prefer to stay home in the evenings, but now I find myself passing up parties. I used to think that people who watched birds were strange, but this summer I found myself watching them, and maybe I’ll get a book on the subject. I feel a strong desire for a religious belief that I never thought I’d want, feel close to my ancestors long gone, and echo my father in arguments with my son. I’ll still lose….

One day I bought a house. One day－What a day!－I became a father, and not too long after that I picked up the check for my own father. I thought then it was a milestone for me. One day, when I was a little older, I realized it was one for him too, another milestone．

1.The tone established in the passage is one of ________.

A. sad regret　　 B. amusement

C. happiness　　 D. deep feeling

2.The author mentions the event in the restaurant because ________.

A. that was one of his milestones

B. he paid the bill but he didn’t want to

C. he became a father with dollars

D. that was the last restaurant meal with his parents

3.“Then they were suddenly neither” suggests that ________.

A. suddenly they became older than I was

B. suddenly I knew that they were neither bigger nor older than I was

C. suddenly I realized that I made a mistake

D. suddenly I found myself no longer a kid

4.Which of the following best expresses the author’s thinking?

A. One day is worth two tomorrows.

B. To save time is to lengthen life.

C. Time and tide wait for no man.

D. When an opportunity is lost, it never comes back to you.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

This year marked my five-year violin anniversary. Five years ago I entered a music shop and asked, “Do you______violin lessons?”I was standing in a room filled with beautiful ______and felt like a stranger in a new land. I had little ______in playing the violin although I had loved violin music for years. I wanted to learn to play it at that moment．

The music shop signed me up for ______and it soon became clear to me how ______it was for a novice（新手）to learn to play the violin. I once watched a skilled violinist play and it looked simple. Actually, it was more difficult than I had expected. Little did I know there was nothing natural about the ______in which one held the instrument. There was no margin(偏差) for error—a ______misplaced finger sends a note out of tune. If I had known how challenging it would be, I might never have started. However, my love for violin music ______all the difficulties. Though it was a big challenge, I made it at last. I won first place in the violin contest in our city last year．

____the past five years with my violin, I realized I've learned much more than how to make music. I believe mistakes are not ______. They are pointing you toward where to ______your attention. Besides, you'd better not ______yourself with others. If you find you’re not as good as someone, you will feel depressed. If so, remember ______you started. For me，it was because I loved the violin music and it made me happy. What's more, remember that developing a new skill ______repetition. The more you practice，the more you learn．Progress happens even when you are taking ______baby steps (like practicing for a few minutes at a time). Take the time to celebrate your successes. When you ______something you've been working on, acknowledge it with a “Yay me! Look what I did!”Give yourself rewards for what you've learned and enjoy your ______, which will lead you to the next accomplishment．______，you need to persevere（坚持不懈） no matter how difficult the situation is．I firmly believe these lessons______anything we take on．

Learning something new isn't always easy. Sometimes it's more demanding than you expected, but you are richly ______in more ways than you could have imagined for the trying．

1.A. prepare　　 B. offer　　 C. promise　　 D. support

2.A. treasures　　 B. machines　　 C. instruments　　 D. souvenirs

3.A. experience　　 B. patience　　 C. consideration　　 D. imagination

4.A. travels　　 B. contests　　 C. performances　　 D. lessons

5.A. challenging　　 B. practical　　 C. meaningful　　 D. convenient

6.A. stage　　 B. event　　 C. relation　　 D. position

7.A. fairly　　 B. properly　　 C. slightly　　 D. equally

8.A. conquered　　 B. expected　　 C. discovered　　 D. suffered

9.A. Looking up to　　 B. Looking back on　　 C. Looking down on　　 D. Looking forward to

10.A. failures　　 B. excuses　　 C. lies　　 D. solutions

11.A. record　　 B. organize　　 C. escape　　 D. focus

12.A. connect　　 B. share　　 C. compare　　 D. concern

13.A. what　　 B. that　　 C. how　　 D. why

14.A. improves　　 B. introduces　　 C. requires　　 D. guides

15.A. broad　　 B. tiny　　 C. proud　　 D. fresh

16.A. introduce　　 B. design　　 C. contribute　　 D. accomplish

17.A. surprise　　 B. contribution　　 C. achievement　　 D. inspiration

18.A. After all　　 B. In conclusion　　 C. In brief　　 D. Above all

19.A. lead to　　 B. apply to　　 C. respond to　　 D. turn to

20.A. rewarded　　 B. awarded　　 C. respected　　 D. challenged

高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Six years ago. something unforgettable happened. My wife, Liz, and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary that year. It was a lovely event hosted by our sons for us. Many wonderful friends from the past surprised us with presents and congratulations. Our gift to each other was a driving trip out west. We drove from Ontario into Alberta, then southward into Glacier National Park in Montana, and continued to Yellowstone National Park.

It was a cold spring day, and the Beartooth Highway had opened for the season just days before. Alongside the road, there was still a great amount of snow remaining. The seenery was so impressive that we made numerous stops to record memories with my camera. At roughly the highest point of the highway, I stopped at a lookout to catch the amazing views, with my wife in the center of my camera lens.

There were not many vehicles on the road. Occasionally, cars with energetic young tourists passed by. And then we heard a motorcycle in the distance. The driver of the motorcycle, in rags, parked behind our car. As he approached us, his only words were, “Give me your camera and get over there with your wife." I must admit I felt nervous that we might be robbed where we just created some beautiful memories. Surprisingly, he just took a picture of us, handed back my camera and rode off before we could express our gratitude. The photo he took is one of the most cherished and prized of our trip.

I learned my lesson somewhere I least expected it. God judges us just by our heart, so we should never judge a man by his appearance. If the motorcycle driver reads this story and remembers the situation, we would like to say "thank you" to him.

1.According to the passage, the trip was ______ .

A.a gift for their wedding anniversary

B.a suggestion from their friends

C.in late autumn six year ago

D.taken by train to the west

2.Which of the following can conclude the passage?

A.There is no best, only bette.

B.Don't judge a book by its cover.

C.Put yourself in others' shoes.

D.A contented mind is an everlasting feast.

3.The author was nervous when the motorcyclist offered to take a picture because _______.

A.the motorcyclist would break the camera

B.he could have lost the camera with memories

C.the motorcyclist might not be good at taking pictures

D.his wife might not be satisfied with the view there

4.Which of the following best describes the driver of the motorcycle?

A.kind and straightforward

B.cautious and admirable

C.rich and skeptical

D.creative and tolerant

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

My wife passed away a few years ago, and I went through the worst time in my life. I even wanted to kill myself. Just for my kids, I had to continue to live and work as a small town doctor at my medical clinic in Hawaii. My kids had gone to live on the mainland, and I was alone. Then they asked me to have a family trip.

On our trip, we turned on the TV at the motel and saw the second plane crash into the World Trade Center. Seeing it falling down, I said to my kids：“ I'm going to Afghanistan.”And a few weeks later, International Medical Corps sent me to set up 20 clinics in provinces where people had no health care. In these field clinics surrounded by frightening shoots or deadly bombs ，we were eventually serving 27,000 patients a month in a very busy schedule.Tired and nervous, I gradually had a sense of achievement, a sense of purpose, and my depression went away.

In the years to follow, I went to Indonesia after the tsunami (海啸), Pakistan after the earthquakes, Sudan after the civil war, and Iraq after more and more bombs. Each time after disasters one after another, hundreds of people were killed, wounded and many more had to flee. We once set up movable clinics in an area with 19,000 refugees,_and it was supposed to hold 13,000 originally. Flu broke out, one of the biggest killers of kids in refugee camps, and it spread like wildfire. Water and food were also serious problems. “Adventure or not？”I often asked myself.

When my wife passed away, I thought my life was gone. But in reality, it was just getting started. At the end of her life, she went unconscious. I held her head in my hands and told her of all the places we would visit and the exciting adventures we would have.

I thought about the moment many times during my“adventures”. I didn't know how predictive those words would be，but I knew that she was still with me.

1.Where has the doctor been in the past few years?

A．Some countries where he could set up clinics.

B．Some African countries where flu broke out.

C．The places where the earthquakes happened.

D．The places that the horrible disasters struck.

2.How would the doctor describe his life after he had worked in Afghanistan?

A．Tired and troublesome.                   B．Busy and risky.

C．Meaningful and helpful.                  D．Frightening and depressing.

3.The underlined word“ refugees” means people________.

A．who are robbed, killed, or wounded           B．who suffer from flu in movable clinics

C．who like to take adventures              D．who have lost homes because of disasters

4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The doctor's wife encouraged him to work in foreign countries.

B．What the doctor said to his wife before her death became reality.

C．The doctor's adventures made him understand the love of his wife.

D．With the true love of his wife, the doctor started to change his life.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析