Born in the 1950s, shopping malls were once t...

Born in the 1950s, shopping malls were once the symbol of the U.S. consumer culture, but many are now dying out.

Dying shopping malls can be found across the United States, often in middle-class suburbs. Economic decline in certain areas together with an upward trend towards online shopping and new forms of urban shopping centers have pushed the once seemingly unbeatable shopping malls into decline. It is estimated that 15 to 50 percent of shopping malls may close in the coming decades.

American shopping culture follows its housing culture. Numerous shopping malls were therefore born after the Second World War, as Americans with cars and fat wallets moved to the suburbs. U.S. shopping malls were built at a rapid pace as shoppers fled cities, peaking in the mid-1990s when they were being built at a rate of 140 a year. Thus, too many shopping malls are left though construction has gradually decreased since then.

Currently, there are around 1,500 shopping malls across the U.S. Most share a handful of similar feature. They usually contain two or three stories of stores separated by walkways. Food courts serve pizza and other fast food. Parking lots are big enough to easily misplace a car.

Shopping malls in Europe might contain grocery stores or childcare centers, while those in Japan are often built around mass transit (交通枢纽). But the suburban American shopping malls are hard to get to and mainly sell clothes and gifts.

As many shopping malls became redundant (过剩的), leaders in many U.S. towns who once fought for malls now struggle with how to transform them to new uses. Highland Mall in Texas is being transformed into a community college campus, and Lakeland Mall in Florida now houses a megachurch (大型教会). Others have been redeveloped to include housing, offices and even green space. However, it is hard to imagine every shopping mall meeting the demands for such transformations.

1.What is this passage mainly about?

A.The introduction to American consumer culture.

B.The changes in Americans' shopping habits.

C.The growth of American shopping centers.

D.The decline of American shopping malls.

2.When did the construction speed of IS shopping malls reach the highest point?

A.After the Second World War B.In the mid-1990s.

C.After mass transit appeared. D.In the 2000s.

3.What do many U.S. towns do to solve the redundant shopping malls?

A.They make them look different from each other.

B.They make them more accessible to the public.

C.They change them to serve other purposes.

D.They move them to the urban areas.

高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Teresa was born in Yugoslavia on August 27,1910. Her parents were Albanians(阿尔巴尼亚人) and member of the Roman Catholic Church. When she was seven years old, her father was murdered. She decided not to be filled with hate because of this tragedy(悲剧). Instead, she would seek a life of love. This ambition led her to Ireland where she became a nun(修女) at the age of eighteen.

After only one year of training, she was sent to India to teach in a school called Loretto House, where the students were mostly from rich Indian families. After 15 years there, she left her duties as a teacher to “follow Christ into the slums(贫民窟).” Her heart led her away from the rich to the needs of the poor. She was then 36 years old.

Teresa no longer was affiliated(隶属) with the Irish nuns who sent her to Loreto House but worked independently. However, her work was recognised by the Pope in Rome for she still was a nun. He allowed her to set up her own group, which was called the Missionaries of Charity(仁爱传教修女会).

She no longer dressed as a nun in the European or Irish tradition. Instead, she put on a sari, the local dress of the Indian people. At first, people were sceptical(怀疑的) about her motives. Soon, they realised she was really interested in loving poor people, even those who were dying and had no chance of survival.

Soon, other Indian people began to spare time to help Mother Teresa. She had taught everyone that the poor and dying people need love most of all.

In 1979, she won the Nobel Peace Prize.

1.Why did Mother Teresa become a nun?

2.Why did she leave her duties as a teacher after 15 years in Loretto House?

3.Which of the following is WRONG?

4.Perhaps the most important lesson the world has learned from Mother Teresa is ________.

高一英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Many American presidents in the 19^th century were born in poor families. They spent their childhood in little wooden rooms. They got little education . Washington and Lincoln, for example, never went to school and they taught themselves. Lincoln once did jobs of a worker, shopkeeper and post officer in his early years.

A large number of U. S. presidents had experiences in the army. The two best known were Ulysses Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Grant was a general (将军) in the American Civil War and Eisenhower was a hero in the Second World War. It happened that they graduated from the same school—West Point Military Academy . One may be surprised to learn that both of them did not do well in the school. Eisenhower, for example, was once fined (罚款) because he broke the rules of the school.

The jobs of U. S. presidents are tiring. He must keep an eye on anything important which happens both at home and abroad. Every day, a lot of work waits for him to do, and he has to make many important decisions. When Franklin Roosevelt was a child, he was once brought to visit President Taft. The old president said to him, “When you grow up, you should not be president. It’s a tiring job.”

1.In the nineteenth century, many U.S. presidents ________.

A．did not have much knowledge in their work

B．had been workers, shop-keepers and post officers in their early years

C．couldn’t receive good education before they grew up

D．didn’t want to go to school during their childhood

2.President Eisenhower became well-known ________.

A．while studying in West Point Military Academy.

B．during the American Civil War

C．after he was elected President of the U. S.

D．during World War II

3.In this passage, “keep an eye on” means “ ________ ”.

A．pay close attention to                    B．not pay attention to

C．look at something with one eye             D．never keep in mind

4.Which of the following do you think is right according to the last paragraph?

A．In the U. S. no one wanted to be president because it was tiring.

B．None of the presidents except Taft could do the tiring job.

C．It is an important and tiring job to be a president in the U. S.

D．President Taft didn’t want Roosevelt to be a president because he was too young.

5.Which do you think is the main idea of the second paragraph?

A．Many of the U. S. presidents had served in the army before they took office.

B．Only those who didn’t work hard at school but were good at fighting could be presidents.

C．Grant and Eisenhower became well-known because they both graduated from West Point Military Academy.

D．Eisenhower was President at the beginning of the Second World War.

高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Elias was born in the 20th century when the black people were put in to a miserable position 1.they had no rights at all. Elias, like most black people in South Africa, had little 2.(educate)and was worried 3. whether he would become out of work. This was the very reason 4. he met Mandela. Mandela always encouraged him not to lose heart.

At that time, black people had no rights of 5. (vote). They couldn’t get jobs they wanted. The parts of town in which they had to live were decided by white people. They were sent to the poor areas 6.no one could grow food.

Nelson Mandela organized the ANC Youth League to fight against the 7.(govern).　 They　 first　 broke　 the　 law　 in　 a 8. (peace) way.

When it was not allowed, they decided to answer violence with violence. So Elias joined the ANC Youth League, helping Nelson Mandela blow up some government 9. (build). Elias 10. (strong) believed what he did would help them achieve their dream of making black and white people equal.

高一英语语法填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

The United States Capitol Dome in Washington, D.C., is recognized around the world as a symbol of the U.S. government. Since last November, the dome has been surrounded by metal poles, or scaffolding(脚手架), and heavy cloth as part of a repair project.

The last major repair work on the U.S. Capitol took place in 1960. Since then, the dome has become weathered and worn. The Architect of the Capitol group reports the dome has more than 1,000 narrow breaks in its surface and other damage.

The dome was completed around 1863. U.S. Senate Historian Don Ritchie says the dome’s cast iron frame(铸铁钢架) is at special risk of weathering. “The capitol dome, being cast iron, has been hit by lightning countless times. And so the present construction(=building) is to repair the leaks, to fill in the cracks, to take off unnecessary layers of paint.”

Workers are removing old paint. They covered a large part of the building in plastic and a special cloth to protect workers from the wind and other elements. Much of the work is done at night, when lawmakers are not in the building.

Some recent visitors to the Capitol were unhappy about its present appearance. They had hoped to get a picture of the usually shining dome. Joyce said, “It was dramatic, and very fantastic, and all white, but when I come here today, it is under construction so my family cannot see it clearly. It is kind of a disappointment.”

Others were more understanding of the repairs. Rick Jones, another visitor, said, “It’s a little inconvenient for us not to see the dome but you have to think about the future and the people will be coming to this place for centuries...and you know, there just needs to be preventive maintenance(保养). I am not upset with that at all.”

The project is expected to take more than two years to complete. The dome should be ready for the inauguration of a new president in January 2017.

1.We can learn from the passage that the United States Capitol Dome is ______.

A.worn by exposure to the weather

B.surrounded by many repair projects

C.well kept and in excellent condition

D.regarded as a symbol of the U.K. government

2.According to Don Ritchie, the present repair work involves ______.

a. stopping the leaks

b. changing the frame

c. removing the old paints

d. replacing the lights e. filling the narrow breaks

A.abc B.bcd

C.bde D.ace

3.Which of the following can describe the recent visitors to the Capitol Dome?

A.They could get a clear look at the dome.

B.They were impressed by the white dome’s fantastic beauty.

C.They held different views on the Capitol’s current appearance.

D.They were all disappointed at the sight of the Capitol building.

4.The underlined word “inauguration” in the last paragraph most probably means _____.

A.tour B.taking office

C.interview D.taking photos

高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Doctor Seuss was born in 1904. By the middle 1950s, he had become one of the best loved and most successful children's book writers in the world. His books are very popular with young readers. They enjoy the invented words and the pictures of unusual funny animals and plants.

In 1954, life magazine published(刊登) a report about school children who could not read. The report said many children's books were not interesting. Doctor Seuss strongly hoped to help children and decided to write books that were interesting and easy to read. He used words with the same ending sound, like fish and wish. He did not receive training in art. Yet, he drew the pictures for most of his books.

In 1957, Dr. Seuss wrote The Cat in the Hat. He used less than 230 words to write the book and even a six­year­old should be able to read it. It was a fun story and easy to read. Children loved it. Their parents loved it, too. Today it is still one of the stories they like best. The success of The Cat in the Hat made him want to write more books for children. In 1960, he wrote a book using less than fifty words. The book is called Green Eggs and Ham.

In 1984, Doctor Seuss won a Pulitzer Prize (普利策奖). He was honored for the education and enjoyment his books provided American children and their parents.

He died at the age of 87, but his influence remains. Millions of his books have been sold worldwide. People say his books helped change the way American children learned to read. Yet, his books are loved by people of all ages. Doctor Seuss once said，“I do not write for children. I write for people.”

1.Doctor Seuss learned from the magazine that _________.

A. some school children could not read with interest.

B. many children's books were interesting

C. children wanted to learn to read

D. a writer for children was wanted

2.People like his books because the books ________.

A. are cheap and easy to get　　 B. were written in different languages

C. are easy and interesting to read　　 D. were written with invented words

3.He wrote the book The Cat in the Hat at the age of ________.

A. 50　　 B. 53

C. 56　　 D. 87

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

A. Doctor Seuss wrote Green Eggs and Ham with over 230 words.

B. Doctor Seuss wrote books only for children in the United States.

C. The Cat in the Hat was written only for six­year­old children.

D. His books provided education and enjoyment for Americans.

高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Surtsey was born in 1963. Scientists saw the birth of this island．It began at 7：30 am . on 14th November . A fishing boat was near Iceland．The boat moved under the captain's (船长的) feet . He noticed a strange smell．He saw some black smoke ．A volcano (火山) was breaking out . Red hot rocks，fire and smoke were rushing up from the bottom of the sea . The island grew quickly．It was 10 metres high the next day and 60 metres high on 18th November. Scientists flew there to watch．It was exciting．Smoke and fire were still rushing up. Pieces of red hot rock were flying into the air and falling into the sea. The sea was boiling and there was a strange light in the sky. Surtsey grew and grew. Then it stopped in June 1967. It was 175 metres high and 2 kilometres 1ong．And life was already coming to Surtsey. Plants grew．Birds came．Some scientists built a house．They wanted to learn about this young island．

A new island is like a new world．

1. When did scientists fly there to watch the birth of the island?

A. Before the volcano broke out.

B. On 14th November 1963 .

C. About four days after the volcano broke out .

D. In June 1967.

2.Put the following sentences in correct order .

a. Some scientists built a house on Surtsey to learn about this island .

b. The captain saw fire , smoke and rocks rushing up .

c. The sea was boiling .

d. A fishing boat was near Iceland .

e. A new island appeared in the sea .

A. a-b-c-d-e　　　　 B. d-a-c-b-e

C. d-c-b-a-e　　　　 D. d-b-c-e-a

3. The best title of the text is 　　　　　　 .

A. New Discovery .

B. The Birth of An Island.

C. A Captain and An Island .

D. How Does A Volcano Break Out.

高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Sally Ride was born on May 26th, 1951, in California. She started to play tennis at the age of 10 and became a good tennis player. But later, she thought she was not good enough to become a successful tennis player and then gave it up.

At the age of 22, she got a doctor’s degree. She was looking for a job when she read about NASA’s call for astronauts. More than 8,000 people wanted to join in the space program, but only Sally and other thirty-four other people were accepted.

After joining NASA in 1977, Sally Ride accepted training. She enjoyed flight training so much that flying became her favorite hobby. In 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman in space on the shuttle Challenger ( STS-7)（挑战者号航天飞机）. Her next flight was an eight- day task in 1984 on Challenger ( STS41-G ).

Sally Ride retired from NASA in 1987, then started an Internet-based NASA project. Sally Ride has received many awards, including the Jefferson Award for Public Service, the Woman’s Research and Education Institute’s American Woman Award.

1.When was Sally Ride born? ( no more than 7 words )

_____________________________________________

2. How many people were accepted in the space program? ( no more than 4 words )

___________________________________________________________

3.What happened to Sally Ride in 1983? ( no more than 13 words )

____________________________________________________________

4. What did Sally Ride do after she retired from NASA ? ( no more than 7 words )

_____________________________________________________________

高一英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析

Surtsey was born in 1963.Scientists saw the birth of this island. It began at 7.30 a.m. on 14th November. A fishing boat was near Iceland. The boat moved under the captain's（船长）feet. He noticed a strange smell. He saw some black smoke. A volcano（火山）was breaking out. Red-hot rocks, fire and smoke were rushing up from the bottom（底部）of the sea. The island grew quickly. It was 10 meters high the next day and 60 meters high on 18th November.

Scientists flew there to watch. It was exciting. Smoke and fire were still rushing up. Pieces of red-hot rock were flying into the air and falling into the sea. The sea was boiling and there was a strange light in the sky. Surtsey grew and grew. Then it stopped in June 1967.It was 175 meters high and 2 kilometers long. And life was already coming to Surtsey. Plants grew. Birds came. Some scientists built a house. They want to learn about this young island. A new island is like a new world.

1.Surtsey is ______.

A. an island not far from Iceland    B. a new volcano

C. a fishing boat                                D. a place in Iceland

2.When did scientist fly there to watch?

A. Before the volcano broke out.       B. As soon as the volcano broke out.

C. About four days after the volcano broke out.

D. After the volcano stopped rushing up.

3.Put the following sentences in correct order.

a. The captain found the boat was moving.      b. A new island appeared in the sea.

c. Fire, smoke and rocks were seen rushing up.  d. A fishing boat was near Iceland.

e. The island grew quickly.

A. d-a-c-b-e 　　   B. a-b-c-d-e　　  C .a-b-e-c-d　 　  D. b-e-d-a-c

4.When was Surtsey born?

A. 1964           B. 1963          C. 1962           D. 1965

高一英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

The head teacher told us that most of the students 　　　　 born in the 1990s.

A. were　　　　　　 B. had been

C. are　　　　 D. have been

高一英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析