When I was 10 years old, I asked a neighborhood kid who was older than me, “Which city is further west: Reno. Nev., or Los Angeles?” The correct answer is Reno. Nevada. But he was convinced it was the other way around.
He was so convinced that Los Angeles was west of Reno that he was willing to bet me two dollars. So I went into the house to get my Rand McNally Map. The kid looked at the map and said. “The map is drawn funny.” It wasn’t. Was his argument that the map didn’t preserve east, west, north and south? What kind of map would that be? I showed him if you trace down the 120-degree west line of longitude (经度)---which runs almost directly through Reno, Nev. --- you end up in the Pacific Ocean, somewhere west of Los Angeles.
He replied that lines of longitude don’t cross the ocean.
What? I told him that the lines of longitude were there to show how far west or east some location was, regardless of whether it was on land or on sea.
There was one problem, however. He was bigger than me.
I drew a number of conclusions from this story.
There is such a thing as truth, but we often tend to ignore it. Also, it’s not just thinking something that makes it true. Truth not relative. It’s not subjective. It may be hidden. People may wish to ignore it. But there is such a thing as truth and pursuit (追求) of truth: trying to figure out what has really happened, trying to figure out how things really are.
Almost 15 years ago, I came across a story about an innocent man, a man who had been sentenced to death in the Huntsville, Texas, electric chair. And through hard work and luck, I was able to make the movie The Thin Blue Line and to help get him out of prison.
What kept me going was the belief that there had to be answers to the questions. “Did he do it?” “Was he guilty or innocent?” “If he didn’t do it, who did?” and that I could find an answer to these questions through investigating (调查).
It’s not that we find truth with big “T”. We investigate and sometimes we find things out and sometimes don’t. There’s no way to know in advance. It’s just that we have to go ahead as though there are answers to questions. We must go ahead as though, in principle, we can find things out-even if we can’t. The alternative is unacceptable.
I will never know whether the neighborhood kid really didn’t understand the logic of my argument about Reno. Nev. Or whether he understood it completely and just didn’t want to admit it. Or whether he understood it and just didn’t want to admit it. Or whether he understood it and just didn’t want to pay up. I’ll never know.
All I know is I never got my two dollars.
1.Why does the author tell the story of the neighborhood boy?
A.To recall his good old days. B.To show his good sense of direction.
C.To introduce the topic of finding truth. D.To stress the importance of geography.
2.Why did the boy say “The map is drawn funny.” in Paragraph 2?
A.Because he had fun reading maps.
B.Because he refused to admit his mistake.
C.Because the map was drawn in a different way.
D.Because there were some mistakes in the map.
3.What encouraged the author to make the movie The Thin blue Line?
A.His devotion to films. B.His willingness to help.
C.His belief in finding answers. D.His mercy for the innocent man.
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A.Great minds think alike. B.It’s never too late to learn.
C.Truth never fears investigation. D.Honesty is the best policy.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
When I was 10 years old, I asked a neighborhood kid who was older than me, “Which city is further west: Reno. Nev., or Los Angeles?” The correct answer is Reno. Nevada. But he was convinced it was the other way around.
He was so convinced that Los Angeles was west of Reno that he was willing to bet me two dollars. So I went into the house to get my Rand McNally Map. The kid looked at the map and said. “The map is drawn funny.” It wasn’t. Was his argument that the map didn’t preserve east, west, north and south? What kind of map would that be? I showed him if you trace down the 120-degree west line of longitude (经度)---which runs almost directly through Reno, Nev. --- you end up in the Pacific Ocean, somewhere west of Los Angeles.
He replied that lines of longitude don’t cross the ocean.
What? I told him that the lines of longitude were there to show how far west or east some location was, regardless of whether it was on land or on sea.
There was one problem, however. He was bigger than me.
I drew a number of conclusions from this story.
There is such a thing as truth, but we often tend to ignore it. Also, it’s not just thinking something that makes it true. Truth not relative. It’s not subjective. It may be hidden. People may wish to ignore it. But there is such a thing as truth and pursuit (追求) of truth: trying to figure out what has really happened, trying to figure out how things really are.
Almost 15 years ago, I came across a story about an innocent man, a man who had been sentenced to death in the Huntsville, Texas, electric chair. And through hard work and luck, I was able to make the movie The Thin Blue Line and to help get him out of prison.
What kept me going was the belief that there had to be answers to the questions. “Did he do it?” “Was he guilty or innocent?” “If he didn’t do it, who did?” and that I could find an answer to these questions through investigating (调查).
It’s not that we find truth with big “T”. We investigate and sometimes we find things out and sometimes don’t. There’s no way to know in advance. It’s just that we have to go ahead as though there are answers to questions. We must go ahead as though, in principle, we can find things out-even if we can’t. The alternative is unacceptable.
I will never know whether the neighborhood kid really didn’t understand the logic of my argument about Reno. Nev. Or whether he understood it completely and just didn’t want to admit it. Or whether he understood it and just didn’t want to admit it. Or whether he understood it and just didn’t want to pay up. I’ll never know.
All I know is I never got my two dollars.
1.Why does the author tell the story of the neighborhood boy?
A.To recall his good old days. B.To show his good sense of direction.
C.To introduce the topic of finding truth. D.To stress the importance of geography.
2.Why did the boy say “The map is drawn funny.” in Paragraph 2?
A.Because he had fun reading maps.
B.Because he refused to admit his mistake.
C.Because the map was drawn in a different way.
D.Because there were some mistakes in the map.
3.What encouraged the author to make the movie The Thin blue Line?
A.His devotion to films. B.His willingness to help.
C.His belief in finding answers. D.His mercy for the innocent man.
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A.Great minds think alike. B.It’s never too late to learn.
C.Truth never fears investigation. D.Honesty is the best policy.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Let’s be honest, kids are strange. And when you hear your three- year-old son arguing over who gets to be the mom while playing “house” alone in the other room, you might question if you’ve done something wrong as a parent. But don’t worry, it’s perfectly normal for your child to have an imaginary friend, and it even has some benefits. While your kids are benefiting from playing with their imaginary friend, try out these other ways to raise an intelligent child!
One of the biggest profits is that it promotes creativity. Just think about it-you have to be a special kind of creative to carry on a conversation with an imaginary figure that doesn’t respond. Developmental psychologist Marjorie Taylor told PureWow that your child’s creativity will remain with them as they get older, even when they stop hanging out with their “friend”.
Along with being more creative, they will also have a better developed and more different vocabulary as well as stronger social skills. Talking to “Sally” or “Bob” all day will allow them to practice their speech and conversation skills. Researchers at La Trobe University in Australia found that children who engage with their imaginary friends on a regular basis use more complex sentences and are more confident in everyday social situations.
There are also some benefits for the parents. If your child’s brothers or sisters aren’t around or they’re an only child, they have someone to entertain them while you spend the time on you never-ending to-do list. So even though it might get odd when your kids constantly ask you to set an extra plate at the table for their imaginary friends, they’ll benefit in the future from keeping them around. Having an extra member of the family can’t be that bad, the more the merrier, right?
1.Who is the three-year-old boy talking to while playing “house” alone?
A. His toy. B. His mother.
C. His brothers and sisters D. His imaginary friend.
2.How does Marjorie Taylor feel about children playing with heir “friend”?
A. It helps children develop better.
B. It relieves busy parents’ pressure.
C. It shows children’s loneliness.
D. It makes the family get closer.
3.What does the author suggest to parents?
A. Sparing time with children.
B. Taking children to play outside.
C. Adopting an extra member of family.
D. Letting children play with imaginary friends.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. Ways to play creatively
B. Ways to raise an intelligent child
C. Benefits of children’s having imaginary friends
D. Benefits of letting your child play
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When other nine-year-old kids were playing games, she was working at a petrol station. When other teens were studying or going out, she struggled to find a place to sleep on the street. But she overcame these terrible setbacks to win a highly competitive scholarship and gain entry to Harvard University. And her amazing story has inspired a movie, "Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story" shown in late April.
Liz Murray, a 22.year-old American girl, has been writing a real-life story of willpower and determination. Liz grew up in the shadow of two drug-addicted parents. There was never enough food or warm clothes in the house. Liz was the only member of the family who had a job. Her mother had AIDS and died when Liz was just l5 years old. The effect of that LOSS became a turning point in her life. Connecting the environment in which she had grown up with how her mother had died,she decided to do something about it.
Liz went back to school. She threw herself into her studies, never telling her teachers that she was homeless. At night, she lived on the streets. ".What drove me to live on had something to do with understanding, by understanding that there was a whole other way of being. I had only experienced a small part of the society,'' she wrote in her book Breaking Night.
She admitted that she used envy to drive herself on. She used the benefits that come easily to others, such as a safe living environment, to encourage herself that "next to nothing could hold me down".
She finished high school in just two years and won a full scholarship to study at Harvard University. But Liz decided to leave her top university a couple of months earlier this year in order to take care of her father, who has also developed AIDS."I love my parents so much. They are drug addicts. But I never forget that they love me all the time."
Liz wants moviegoers to come away with the idea that changing your life is ''as simple as making a decision".
1.In which order did the following things happen to Liz?
a. Her mother died of AIDS.
b. She worked at a petrol station.
c. She got admitted into Harvard.
d. The movie about her life was put on.
e. She had trouble finding a place to sleep.
A. b, a, e, c, d B. a, b, c, e, d C. e, d, b, a, c D. b, e, a, d, c
2.The main idea of the passage is_______.
A. how Liz managed to enter Harvard University
B. what a hard time Liz had in her childhood
C. why Liz loved her parents so much
D. how Liz struggled to change her life
3.What actually made her go towards her goal?
A. Envy and encouragement. B. Willpower and determination.
C. Decisions and understanding. D. Love and respect for her parents.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When other nine-year-old kids were playing games, she was working at a petrol station. When other teens were studying or going out, she struggled to find a place to sleep on the street. But she overcame these terrible setbacks to win a highly competitive scholarship （奖学金） and gain entry to Harvard University. And her amazing story has inspired a movie, “ Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story ” , shown in late April.
Liz Murray, a 22-year-old American girl, has been writing a real-life story of willpower and determination. Liz grew up in the shadow of two drug-addicted （吸毒） parents. There was never enough food or warm clothes in the house. Liz was the only member of the family who had a job. Her mother had AIDS and died when Liz was just 15 years old. The effect of that loss became a turning point in her life. Connecting the environment in which she had grown up with how her mother had died, she decided to do something about it.
Liz went back to school. She threw herself into her studies, never telling her teachers that she was homeless. At night, she lived on the streets. “ What drove me to live on had something to do with understanding, by understanding that there was a whole other way of being. I had only experienced a small part of the society,” she wrote in her book Breaking Night.
She admitted that she used envy to drive herself on. She used the benefits that come easily to others, such as a safe living environment, to encourage herself that “ next to nothing could hold me down ” . She finished high school in just two years and won a full scholarship to study at Harvard University . But Liz decided to leave her top university a couple of months earlier this year in order to take care of her father, who has also developed AIDS. “ I love my parents so much. They are drug addicts. But I never forget that they love me all the time. ”
Liz wants moviegoers to come away with the idea that changing your life is “ as simple as making a decision ” .
1.In which order did the following things happen to Liz?
a. Her mother died of AIDS.
b. She worked at a petrol station.
c. She got admitted into Harvard.
d. The movie about her life was put on.
e. She had trouble finding a place to sleep.
A．b, a, e, c, d B．a, b, c, e, d C．e, d, b, a, c D．b, e, a, d, c
2.The main idea of the passage is ________.
A．how Liz managed to enter Harvard University
B．what a hard time Liz had in her childhood
C．why Liz loved her parents so much
D．how Liz struggled to change her life
3.What actually made her go towards her goal?
A．Envy and encouragement. B．Willpower and determination.
C．Decisions and understanding. D．Love and respect for her parents.
4.When she wrote “ What drove me to live on...I had only experienced a small part of the society ” , she meant that ________.
A．she had little experience of social life
B．she could hardly understand the society
C．she would do something for her own life
D．she needed to travel more around the world
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When other nine-year-old kids were playing games, she was working at a petrol station. When other teens were studying or going out, she struggled to find a place to sleep on the street. But she overcame these terrible setbacks to win a highly competitive scholarship （奖学金） and gain entry to Harvard University. And her amazing story has inspired a movie, “ Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story ” , shown in late April.
Liz Murray, a 22-year-old American girl, has been writing a real-life story of willpower and determination. Liz grew up in the shadow of two drug-addicted （吸毒） parents. There was never enough food or warm clothes in the house. Liz was the only member of the family who had a job. Her mother had AIDS and died when Liz was just 15 years old. The effect of that loss became a turning point in her life. Connecting the environment in which she had grown up with how her mother had died, she decided to do something about it.
Liz went back to school. She threw herself into her studies, never telling her teachers that she was homeless. At night, she lived on the streets. “ What drove me to live on had something to do with understanding, by understanding that there was a whole other way of being. I had only experienced a small part of the society, ” she wrote in her book Breaking Night.
She admitted that she used envy to drive herself on. She used the benefits that come easily to others, such as a safe living environment, to encourage herself that “ next to nothing could hold me down ” . She finished high school in just two years and won a full scholarship to study at Harvard University . But Liz decided to leave her top university a couple of months earlier this year in order to take care of her father, who has also developed AIDS. “ I love my parents so much. They are drug addicts. But I never forget that they love me all the time. ”
Liz wants moviegoers to come away with the idea that changing your life is “ as simple as making a decision ” .
1. In which order did the following things happen to Liz?
a. Her mother died of AIDS.
b. She worked at a petrol station.
c. She got admitted into Harvard.
d. The movie about her life was put on.
e. She had trouble finding a place to sleep.
A．b, a, e, c, d B．a, b, c, e, d C．e, d, b, a, c D．b, e, a, d, c
2.The main idea of the passage is ________.
A．how Liz managed to enter Harvard University
B．what a hard time Liz had in her childhood
C．why Liz loved her parents so much
D．how Liz struggled to change her life
3.What actually made her go towards her goal?
A．Envy and encouragement. B．Willpower and determination.
C．Decisions and understanding. D．Love and respect for her parents.
4.When she wrote “ What drove me to live on...I had only experienced a small part of the society ” , she meant that ________.
A．she had little experience of social life
B．she could hardly understand the society
C．she would do something for her own life
D．she needed to travel more around the world
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When other nine-year-old kids were playing games, she was working at a petrol station. When other teens were studying or going out, she struggled to find a place to sleep on the street. But she overcame these terrible setbacks to win a highly competitive scholarship and gain entry to Harvard University. And her amazing story has inspired a movie, “Homeless to Harvard：The Liz Murray Story” , shown in late April.
Liz Murray , a 22-- year-- old American girl, has been writing a real--life story of willpower and determination. Liz grew up in the shadow of two drug--addicted parents. There was never enough food or warm clothes in the house. Liz was the only member of the family who had a job. Her mother had AIDS and died when Liz was just 15 years old. The effect of that loss became a turning point in her life. Connecting the environment in which she had grown up with how her mother had died, she decided to do something about it.
Liz went back to school. She threw herself into her studies, never telling her teachers that she was homeless. At night, she lived on the streets. “What drove me to live on had something to do with understanding, My understanding was that there was a whole other way of being. I had only experienced a small part of society,” she wrote in her book Breaking Night.
She admitted that she used envy to drive herself on. She used the benefits that come easily to others, such as a safe living environment, to encourage herself that "next to nothing could hold me down". She finished high school in just two years and won a full scholarship to study at Harvard University. But Liz decided to leave her top university a couple of months earlier this year in order to take care of her father, who has also developed AIDS. "I love my parents so much. They are drug addicts. But I never forget that they love me all the time."
Liz wants moviegoers to come away with the idea that changing your life is "as simple as making a decision".
1. The word “setback” in the first paragraph most probably means___________?
| A．danger | B．difficulty | C．unhappiness | D．disaster |
2.What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Liz’s Harvard Dream | B．Bitter Childhood of Liz |
| C．Liz’s Love for Her Parents | D．Liz’s Struggle for Her Life |
3.What actually made Liz throw herself into her studies ?
| A．Her parents’ addiction to drugs | B．Her mother’ s disease |
| C．Lack of food and clothes | D．Her mother’ s death |
4. According to the passage, which is NOT true about Liz?
| A．strong-- willed | B．envious | C．determined | D．respectful |
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
A nine-year-old kid was sitting at his desk when suddenly there was a puddle (some water or liquid) between his feet and the front of his trousers was wet. He thought his heart was going to stop because he couldn’t possibly imagine how this had happened. It had never happened before, and he knew that when the boys found out he would never hear the end of it. When the girls found out, they would never speak to him again as long as he lived.
He prayed this prayer, “Dear God, I need help now! Five minutes from now I’m dead meat! ” He looked up from his prayer and here came the teacher with a look in her eyes that said he had been discovered. As the teacher was walking toward him, a classmate named Susie was carrying a goldfish bowl full of water. Susie tripped （绊倒） in front of the teacher and dumped （倒） the bowl of water in the boy’s lap. The boy pretended to be angry, but all the while he was saying to himself, “Thank you. God! ”
Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy was the object of sympathy（同情）. The teacher rushed him downstairs and gave him gym shorts to put on while his trousers dried out. All the other children were on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy was wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his had been transferred （转移） to someone else—Susie. She tried to help, but they told her to get out.
When school was over, the boy walked over to Susie and whispered, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Susie whispered back, “I wet my trousers once, too!”
1.The underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 means ________.
A. the boys would never play with him
B. the boys would treat him as usual
C. he would hardly hear any praise from the boys
D. he would be laughed at by the boys endlessly
2.After Susie dumped water in his lap, the boy was in a state of _________.
A. excitement B. relief C. anxiety D. anger
3.What did the other kids do after the incident?
A. They offered him dry clothes.
B. They laughed at the boy rudely.
C. They helped the boy do the cleaning.
D. They urged the boy to get out angrily.
4.Why did Susie dump water in the boy’s lap?
A. The boy asked her to do so.
B. She just did it by accident.
C. The teacher tripped her on purpose.
D. She knew the boy’s embarrassment.（尴尬）
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When I was a ten-year-old girl, I was once asked to deliver a speech titled “A Real Test in My Life”. To talk before the whole class! Just imagine how 1. (terrible) shy I was the moment I thought of that with so many eyes fixed upon me. I had no other 2. (choose), though. First I was to draft the speech and that was just a piece of cake for me, because I was a good writer--something to pride myself in. But the hard part 3. (lie) in my oral presentation; to read from 4. paper was not allowed; I had to give the speech 5. my memory and in front of such a big audience! A real trial began when I stood on the platform with my legs 6. (tremble) and my mind blank. How much time had passed by, I didn’t know. My listeners were still waiting, patiently and without any signs of rushing me. Gradually I found 7. back, giving out my speech with difficulty. Finally I finished. After8. seemed to be a hundred years, I found my audience applauding. I made it! From then on, my fear of talking before an audience disappeared. Actually with my confidence building 9. , I now turn out to be a great speaker. Looking back, I know the greatest difficulty on our way to success is our fear; overcome it, 10. we will be able to achieve our goals.
高二英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析
When I was a ten-year-old girl, I was once asked to deliver a speech titled “ A Real Test in My Life” before the whole class ! Just imagine how1.(terrible) shy I was the moment I thought of that with so many eyes fixed upon me. I had only one2. (choose) , though. First I was to draft the speech and that was just a piece of cake for me, because I was a good writer – something to pride myself on. But the hard part 3.(lie) in my oral presentation; to read from 4. paper was not allowed ; I had to give the speech 5. my memory and in front of such a big audience !
A real trial began when I stood on the platform with my legs6.(tremble) and my mind blank. How much time had passed by , I didn’t know . My listeners were still waiting patiently and without any signs of rushing me. Gradually I found 7. back, giving out my speech with difficulty. Finally I finished. After it seemed to be a hundred years, I found my audience applauding. I made8.! From then on, my fear of talking before an audience disappeared . Actually with my confidence building9., I now turn out to be a great speaker . Looking back, I know the greatest difficulty on our way to success is our fear. Overcome it,10.we will be able to achieve our goals .
高二英语语法填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Now 70 years old, the British physicist, Pendry can’t remember a time when he was not asking a question as a kid, joking that he ________ his parents to death.
A. should torment(折磨) B. must torment
C. must have tormented D. should have tormented
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析